Bill Belichick Reveals Why He Chose UNC

The polarizing head coach revealed why he took over in Chapel Hill.

Sep 1, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick on the field before the game at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

When Bill Belichick was hired by the North Carolina Tar Heels prior to last season, it was universally accepted to be dumbfounded by the idea of the 74-year-old taking over as a college coach.

Earlier this week, Belichick sat down in an exclusive interview with FOX, and revealed what led him to taking the head coaching job in Chapel Hill.

Why Belichick Took Over At North Carolina

Nov 29, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick on the sideline during the second half of the game against NC State Wolfpack at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

• "Yeah, you know, first of all, I always wanted to coach in college and never really had the opportunity to," Belichick said. "And the opportunity came up. North Carolina is a great brand. It's a great school academically, athletically. And of course, even going back to [Lawrence Taylor], you have the opportunity to have a great football program. And they've had a number of good players there. So, I like the school."

• "I think most people at North Carolina - alumni and others - feel like North Carolina should be better at football than what it's been," Belichick continued. "And so, that's what we want to make it. We're very much trying to run an NFL model where we have a general manager, Mike Lombardi, head coach, and our scouting and coaching processes are aligned, but they kind of flow separately until they come together. And our thing is what it's always been - to develop players and develop a team, and in a lot of cases, hopefully help them reach their goals and dreams and play in the NFL and play on Sundays."

Oct 25, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick with the team before the game at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

• "And I've seen so much improvement and development from our team last year," Belichick explained. "Now, we have a long way to go, and still do, but we've made a lot of improvement. We've developed a lot, and we'll continue to do that. They're faster, they're stronger, they're more explosive, and they're better fundamentally at what they do. So, we'll keep doing that. We had one of the top-ranked recruiting classes last year. We'll see how all that plays out. But I think that is a good place to start - to bring in good, young players that you can build your program with. So, that's what we're trying to do."

Overall Thoughts

Sep 13, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Richmond Spiders head coach Russ Huesman talks to North Carolina Tar Heels general manger Michael Lombardi and head coach Bill Belichick before the game at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

North Carolina football is not viewed as one of the marquee college football programs, which is why Belichick's taking the job was a bit perplexing. That being said, the longtime NFL head coach has elevated the recruiting for the program based on his success at the highest level.

However, that doesn't mean much, and if the Tar Heels are one of the worst teams in the ACC again, which would be an embarrassment, Belichick will most likely be fired at the end of the season. The veteran head coach has been living off his success earlier in his career, but his teams, dating back to his last few years with the New England Patriots, have not been relevant.