Belichick-UNC decision looming? Breer shares the latest news on the negotiations that originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Bill Belichick may not have to wait until the NFL offseason to land his next head coaching gig.
The legendary New England Patriots coach was recently interviewed for the vacant position of head coach at the University of North Carolina and, according to reports, is serious in his pursuit of the role. It’s a huge surprise, especially considering there will be a handful of NFL openers and Belichick is just 15 wins away from tying Don Shula’s all-time record.
Nevertheless, Belichick could soon take his talents to Chapel Hill. On Tuesday Early editionSports Illustrated’s Albert Breer sheds light on why the UNC job appeals to the 72-year-old, while adding that he could be hired sooner rather than later.
“Number one, I think he was quite stunned by the lack of interest from around the league last year,” Breer said. Early edition host Trenni Casey and Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald. “Second, he looks at the (NFL) jobs that are open right now and maybe thinks to himself, ‘I don’t know if I’d like that one.’ And then it’s, ‘Okay, how many more are going to open?’ And some kind of recognition that in a month’s time there might not be one available that he is really willing to go and get.
“And so if North Carolina is willing to jump through all the hoops he wants them to jump through – he’s studied the college game and I think he believes he could probably put together a winner at the college level more quickly now because of NIL and So there are still some things to be worked out, but I don’t think it’s outside the realm of possibility that he could be North Carolina’s coach – or maybe not the transfer portal – by the end of the night.”
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Breer explained why Belichick and UNC want to get their deal done as quickly as possible.
“The transfer portal, it’s a big game of musical chairs,” he added. “Players can’t sit around and wait a week or two weeks. For example, there are limited spots across the country for these guys, third-, fourth- and fifth-year players who are looking for opportunities to prove themselves and eventually make it into the NFL.
“The longer this goes on, the more of those players will go off the board. And I think if Bill were to go to North Carolina, a key part of his strategy would be to build an experienced team through the transfer portal.”
NBC Sports Boston Patriots insider Tom E. Curran stated that there is a “greater than 50-50 chance” of Belichick taking the UNC job. Callahan asked Breer to give his opinion on whether Belichick will don Carolina Blue.
“Yes, he is North Carolina’s next head coach,” Breer predicted. ‘I understand he already has an idea who will go with him. So I’m going to say yes, but I think the negotiations are still at a shaky point, and we’ll see what they come up with financially.”
Belichick has never led a team at the collegiate level, so UNC would represent a whole new challenge for the six-time Super Bowl champion. While it’s a head-scratcher, there’s little doubt that Belichick would bring plenty of intrigue to a football program that has historically taken a backseat to basketball.
