Why did Bill Belichick go to UNC? Bill O’Brien gives an interesting take that originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
No one is surprised that Bill Belichick has taken a new job as head coach after parting ways with the New England Patriots in January. The eight-time Super Bowl champion loves coaching, and many people assumed he would eventually get another job.
However, Belichick going to college football and not taking an NFL job was certainly a surprise. He was formally introduced as the new head football coach of the University of North Carolina on Thursday. Belichick will take over a program that went 6-6 last season, has one bowl game win in the last 10 years and hasn’t won an ACC title since 1980.
One person who knows about leaving the NFL for college football is Bill O’Brien.
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He was the offensive coordinator for the Patriots in 2011 and then took the head coaching job at Penn State in 2012. After two years at Penn State, O’Brien became head coach of the Houston Texans from 2014 to 2020. and a brief return to the Patriots, O’Brien is now in his first season as head coach of Boston College. The Eagles close their season against Nebraska in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium on December 28.
What does O’Brien think about Belichick’s move to college football? He joined Tom E. Curran on the latest episode of NBC Sports Boston’s Patriots talk podcast to discuss that topic and more.
“I’m not too surprised about that,” O’Brien said. “I would say that the way the structure is in the NFL, in most organizations, with the exception of maybe, let’s say the Kansas City Chiefs and maybe the Los Angeles Rams, maybe it’s a coach-centered system in those places, probably. But I would say it’s a partnership between 28 and 30 other teams.
“It’s a partnership between a general manager and a head coach that has to be on the same page. And if that’s not the case, then it’s hard to produce a winning team. And so I think what Bill, and I don’t speak.” for Bill, I didn’t talk to Bill at all…but I guess it just wasn’t the right thing to do, and in college football you can go places you think they’re going. give you the tools to get things done. And you’re the one in charge. It’s a coach-centric model in college football.
“You certainly have people you have to report to, don’t get me wrong. He has a boss in North Carolina. But ultimately you run it your way. football, strength and conditioning, nutrition, player development, everything, you do it your way and I think that’s probably what it came down to for him.
It’s true that very few NFL teams give a head coach complete control (or close to it), especially when it comes to roster decisions and lineups. Belichick had a lot of authority in New England for over twenty years, but that kind of setup no longer exists in 2024.
However, it does exist in college football. In college, head coaches run the program. They have enormous influence and many of them are stars themselves.
There are probably other reasons why Belichick chose North Carolina. He does have a family connection to the school as his father was an assistant coach for the Tar Heels for three years in the 1950s.
Belichick’s hiring gives the North Carolina football program some much-needed buzz. Will this translate into more success on the field? We’ll have to wait to find out, but UNC has a pretty soft 2025 schedule.
Also in this episode:
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Looking ahead to BC vs. Nebraska at The Pinstripe Bowl
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Is O’Brien surprised by Belichick’s move?
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How will Belichick change as a coach?
