Texas Longhorns HC Steve Sarkisian Reacts to Bill Belichick's Hiring

The debut of Bill Belichick as the University of North Carolina's head coach is a point of intrigue for many across college football, including for Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian.

Dec 14, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head football coach Bill Belichick during half time at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

As spring practice approaches for programs across the country, there are plenty of reasons for anticipation of the upcoming college football season. One of the biggest points of intrigue nationally is the start of the Bill Belichick era at the University of North Carolina.

The hire not only shocked many fans around the nation, but even Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian, too. A former NFL offensive coordinator in his own right, Sarkisian gave his reaction to Belichick's hiring during his recent reaction on the Up And Adams Show with Kay Adams.

"I think it talks a little bit about college football and where we're at," Sarkisian said. "Chip Kelly goes to be an assistant coach with Ryan Day, now he's in the NFL, Bill Belichick's now coaching college football, Matt Patricia is now a defensive coordinator at Ohio State.

Jan 10, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian before the College Football Playoff semifinal against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

"Just the idea and the thought behind where college football is at today is pretty exciting. Here one of the greatest, if not the greatest of all time is coaching our game now because he sees the value in it is pretty cool."

To Sarkisian's point, in recent years it has seemed that it was the college game that was losing good coaches to the NFL. However, at least this offseason, the tides have turned back to being more of a balance. College football captures a six-time Super Bowl champion head coach.

Belichick replaces former Texas head coach Mack Brown, despite being the Tar Heels' winningest coach in program history, compiling a 113-79-1 throughout 16 seasons. He was let go following a disappointing 6-6 season.

The decision to not bring back the 73-year-old coach came just a week after Brown publicly said he intended to be the coach in Chapel Hill in 2025.

In his two seasons in the NFL, Sarkisian faced off with Belichick as the then-offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons. It was Belichick's New England Patriots who got the better of the two, as they won 23-7 in the Week 7 game of the 2017 season.

Now with Belichick in Chapel Hill, the two could coach opposite of each other again. However, given the current schedule, it would take the Longhorns and Tar Heels meeting in a bowl or playoff game for that to happen anytime soon.

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