Who is Bill Belichick's UNC Offensive Line Coach Will Friend?

Will Friend will lead the offensive line, also known as the trenches, who protect whoever Bill Belichick elects to be the signal caller in year one of him leading North Carolina. And, given the official announcement of the attendees at the ACC Kickoff, an event gathering all ACC teams in Charlotte, North Carolina, the transfer from South Alabama appears to be the projected starter.

Here is a description of Friend and what he has to offer the UNC football program this fall, and for the foreseeable future. Information found on GoHeels:

"Friend arrives in Chapel Hill after serving in the same role at Western Kentucky in 2024. Before joining WKU, Friend served as the Offensive Line Coach at Mississippi State in 2023. He has also worked in the same role at Auburn from 2021 to 2022 and at Tennessee from 2018 to 2020. He served as the Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach at Colorado State from 2015 to 2017 and as the Offensive Line Coach at Georgia from 2011 to 2014.

While at Tennessee, Friend developed two-time All-SEC first team lineman and eventual NFL draft pick Trey Smith. In 2019, Friend's unit featured an All-SEC First Team award winner in Smith and two SEC All-Freshman honorees in Wanya Morris and Darnell Wright. Additionally, Morris was named to the 247Sports True Freshman All-America team, and Smith – who didn't allow a sack all year – garnered a pair of SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week honors.

In 2017 at Colorado State, Friend led a unit that ranked 11th in the nation in total offense at 492.5 yards per game. Colorado State's 33.4 points per game in 2017 led the conference and ranked 31st in the nation."

"During his final season in Athens in 2014, Friend helped guide a Bulldogs' offense that averaged 41.3 points per game, which ranked eighth nationally, and racked up 457.8 yards of total offense per game.

Overall, Friend has coached nine offensive linemen who have been selected in the NFL Draft.

Friend is a 1998 graduate of the University of Alabama who earned his bachelor's degree in human performance. He started at guard for the Crimson Tide in all four seasons and was a two-time All-SEC selection. He is a member of Alabama's Team of the Decade for the 1990s. He was a Parade Magazine All-America selection as a senior at Neshoba Central High in Philadelphia, Mississippi."

In addition, below is a quick rundown of Friend's career history of all the stops he made before UNC, also found on GoHeels:

"2001: West Alabama (Offensive Line Coach)
2002: Tuscaloosa Central HS (Offensive Assistant)
2003-04: Georgia (Graduate Assistant)
2005-2006: Gardner-Webb (Offensive Line Coach)
2011-2014: Georgia (Offensive Line Coach)
2014-2017: Colorado State (Offensive Coordinator)
2017-2020: Tennessee (Offensive Line Coach)
2021-2022: Auburn (Offensive Line Coach)
2023: Mississippi State (Offensive Line Coach)
2024: Western Kentucky (Offensive Coordinator)
2025-Present: North Carolina (Offensive Line Coach)"

Coach Belichick's team has tons of knowledge coming into the 2025 campaign, which will be beneficial for everything, both good and bad, coming their way.

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