UNC Making Major Coaching Changes After Bill Belichick's Disappointing First Season

Belichick is looking for two new coordinators.

Freddie Kitchens is out after one year as offensive coordinator under Bill Belichick at North Carolina. / Photo by Bryan Bennett/Getty Images

The 33rd NFL team is letting go of two of its coordinators. Bill Belichick and the Tar Heels are parting ways with offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens and special teams coordinator Mike Priefer according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.

Kitchens coached in the NFL from '06 to '21, rising as high as the head coach of the Browns in '19. Cleveland went 6-10 in one year under Kitchens. He moved back to college in '22 as a senior analyst at South Carolina before taking a job as an assistant on Mack Brown's North Carolina staff in '23.

Kitchens took over as interim head coach at North Carolina when Brown was fired last December. Belichick retained Kitchens as offensive coordinator and they finished with the 121st best scoring offense in the country, averaging 19.3 points per game. They also finished 131 out of 136 in average yards per game.

Tar Heels make the move official. The search for an OC begins now https://t.co/saz1OC3aoV pic.twitter.com/sX8WfqOn6i

— JOHN JOHNSON II (@TheJJohnsonTV) December 12, 2025

Priefer spent 20 years coaching special teams in the NFL with the Jaguars, Giants, Chiefs, Broncos, Vikings and Browns before he joined Belichick's first staff at North Carolina. The Tar Heels averaged 18.3 yards per kick return which was 105th in the nation this season. They were 77th in average punt return yardage.

North Carolina went 4-8 in Belichick's first season as head coach.

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