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UNC would blend Belichick influence with Petrino drama in new OC hire

North Carolina could link Bobby Petrino’s complicated past with Bill Belichick’s cold analysis, creating hire as unpredictable as men involved.
Andy Hodges|
Arkansas Razorbacks offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino during preseason practices at the indoor center in Fayetteville, Ark.
Arkansas Razorbacks offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino during preseason practices at the indoor center in Fayetteville, Ark. | Andy Hodges-allHOGS Images

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Arkansas Razorbacks

North Carolina football has made some ambitious decisions through the years, but this one belongs in its own cabinet.

The Tar Heels are reportely finalizing hiring former Arkansas offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator with a nod of approval from Bill Belichick, because apparently nothing in Chapel Hill is allowed to be simple anymore.

Petrino brings his usual suitcase full of offensive brilliance, layered play designs, and enough past drama to fuel a 10-part documentary.

Belichick brings that trademark monotone evaluation style that treats résumé red flags the same way most people treat grocery lists.

The pairing feels like mixing gasoline with a safety manual and hoping they cancel each other out. Petrino's offenses can blow up scoreboards.

But defensive coordinators seem to have caught on to his schemes, which aren't that complicated. When he has better players he wins more games. When he doesn't, well, there have have been a lot of blown chances.

The Razorbacks often found creative ways to lose games late because the offense flat gave away some games. The defense managed to catch up with that style, but Petrino's offenses kept sliding in the second half of games.

Petrino gets another shot. Belichick gets another puzzle. North Carolina gets a storyline loud enough to echo across the ACC.

And the rest of college football gets a front-row seat to the “What could go wrong?” bowl.

Petrino’s past arrives with him, as it always does

Say what you want about Petrino — many have, and many will — but the man knows offense. His first halves often look scripted by someone who sees the game in 4K while the rest of us are watching on basic cable.

Quarterbacks thrive. Receivers get open by several zip codes. Defenders wonder what they did to deserve this.

But then comes that unavoidable intermission known as halftime. And that, historically, is where Petrino’s offenses have occasionally turned into puzzles missing the last few pieces.

Defensive coordinators adjust. Momentum shifts. And Petrino’s once-sizzling attack can sometimes cool off faster than a cup of coffee left on a winter porch.

The trend followed him from the Razorbacks days, through other stops, and now washes ashore in Chapel Hill like luggage that keeps finding its owner.

Still, none of this scares him. Petrino coaches like a man convinced the next play is always the one that makes everything click again.

Belichick? He simply nods, because nodding is his closest version of enthusiasm.

Belichick lends backbone, calculation, and just enough mystery

Belichick’s involvement doesn’t overshadow Petrino — it enhances the entire production. His reputation for seeing through noise and focusing on function means he looked at Petrino’s résumé and saw potential, not headlines.

This is the same coach who turned undervalued, overlooked players into championship pieces. So a brilliant but complicated offensive mind? That’s practically a Belichick hobby.

He studied the film. He reviewed the late-game fades. He scanned the 2012 Arkansas exit with the emotional investment of a tax auditor. And in the end, he told North Carolina, “This can work.”

That’s all UNC needed was the blessing of a man who once won a Super Bowl using a wide receiver as his emergency cornerback.

Belichick sees Petrino as a coach who understands offensive structure, even if the structure sometimes leaks after halftime. Petrino sees Belichick as someone who won’t judge him by page one of a Google search.

Together, they turn this hire from interesting to impossible to ignore.

North Carolina didn’t choose safe, they chose unforgettable

The Tar Heels could have hired a quiet technician whose biggest controversy was a bowl game timeout issue. Instead, they selected the college football equivalent of a conversation starter.

Petrino brings fireworks and flashbacks. Belichick brings analysis and stoicism. Together, they give UNC an offensive overhaul wrapped in entertainment value.

And the ACC? They now inherit game plans that begin like a fireworks show and sometimes end like a candle burning out at the wrong time.

But maybe this time is different. Maybe Belichick’s influence helps Petrino stretch his success into the fourth quarter.

Or maybe UNC just signed up for the wildest ride in the league and will enjoy every twist while they can.

College football, as always, wins. It could be interesting.

Key takeaways

  • UNC’s hire combines Bobby Petrino’s complex coaching past with Bill Belichick’s analytical approval.
  • Petrino’s first-half brilliance and second-half questions follow him from Razorbacks days to Chapel Hill.
  • Belichick’s endorsement indicates UNC’s willingness to embrace risk for offensive creativity.

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Andy Hodges
ANDY HODGES

Sports columnist, writer, former radio host and television host who has been expressing an opinion on sports in the media for over four decades. He has been at numerous media stops in Arkansas, Texas and Mississippi.

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