4 UNC Football Coaches Critical to 2026 Success

North Carolina football faces a breaking point this upcoming season. After failing to meet even the minimal expectations in Bill Belichick's first season as head coach, everything is on the line this year. Four wins, missing a bowl game for the first time since 2018, and producing one of the worst offenses in the country with a lack of chemistry is unacceptable in every way.

While talent is as important as anything in a potential program turnaround, having good coaches is as, if not more important, than the success of a college football program or any team at all three levels of the sport. Belichick has assembled a staff that can help pave the way for a shot at a bowl game in 2026, and a handful of coaches will be critical in North Carolina's success. Here are four assistant coaches who could be the most important for Tar Heel football.

Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Coach Steve Belichick and Inside Linebackers Coach Jamie Collins

Belichick UNC — Sep 6, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels defensive coach Steve Belichick during the first quarter against the Charlotte 49ers at Jerry Richardson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Tar Heels are being forced to replace two of their starting linebackers from last season, Khmori House and Andrew Simpson. They added Syracuse's Derek McDonald and Richmond's Peyton Seelmann to succeed them, putting Belichick and Collins in challenging spots for the 2026 season.

Linebacker is the biggest area of concern on defense heading into the fall campaign, which is why the coaching of Belichick and Collins will be crucial to the second level. Collins, a former standout linebacker with the New England Patriots during Bill Belichick's historic run with the franchise, is an upgrade and could be beneficial, while Steve Belichick will work to orchestrate a more disciplined defense from the impressive "bend, don't break" group that played last fall.

Quarterbacks Coach Matt Lombardi

UNC football coach Bill Belichick during a press conference ahead of the Tar Heels' first spring practice on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The quarterback situation for the Tar Heels is easily the most important on the roster. Transfers Billy Edwards Jr. and Miles O'Neill, and true freshman Travis Burgess are the three signal-callers competing to become the starter for a North Carolina offense that has seen many changes this offseason on the coaching staff and roster.

This is why quarterbacks coach Matt Lombardi plays a critical role in determining the Week 0 starter in Dublin. Lombardi has spent his career coaching quarterbacks in the NFL and college football, most recently with the Oregon Ducks and Dillon Gabriel, and he will likely be the coach to decide who will lead the Tar Heels' offense for at least the first game of the season.

Offensive Line Coach Will Friend

Friend UNC — Auburn Tigers offensive line coach Will Friend during the A-Day spring practice at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, April 9, 2022. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

One of the most well-known offensive line coaches in the country, Friend enters his second season with the Tar Heels in a critical role to right the ship up front and clean up the penalties and a lack of discipline that hurt the offensive front last fall. His time in the SEC with schools like Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi State, and Auburn gives him the experience of playing against the best talent college football had to offer at the time.

Friend has two new additions in Shaq McRoy and Andrew Threatt as potential starters on the right side, while retaining some key talents like Aidan Banfield and Christo Kelly. With an offense expected to be run-oriented, Friend will play a big role in the unit's improvement in 2026.

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