Bill Belichick has taken over the North Carolina football program as the head coach, and he likely won't be the only person with a lot of NFL experience on the Tar Heels coaching staff.
The longtime New England Patriots head coach and eight-time Super Bowl champion was officially hired Wednesday on a five-year contract. He takes over a UNC team that went 6-6 this past season and will play UConn in the Fenway Bowl at Fenway Park on Dec. 28.
Belichick was asked Thursday during his introductory press conference about what his UNC coaching staff might look like.
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"On the staff, we'll hire the best coaches we can hire," Belichick said. "I want to do everything I can to help this program and make it as strong as possible. We'll hire the best ones we can get."
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There have been plenty of rumors over the last few days about Belichick's son, Steve, potentially joining him on the coaching staff in Chapel Hill. Steve is currently the defensive coordinator at the University of Washington.
Washington is scheduled to play Louisville in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 31. Belichick didn't mention Steve specifically during his press conference, but he did talk about how bowl games impact his hiring process.
"There are several college coaches who are involved in bowl games and so forth," Belichick said. "I wouldn't interfere with the process at those schools with their commitments to their teams."
Belichick does envision having plenty of coaches with NFL experience on his staff, however.
"We'll see how it goes," Belichick said. "But in the end, I've already had a lot of people contact me. There will certainly be a strong presence of NFL people on the staff. I think that's a certainty. And not only on the staff, but in the training area.
"At the same time, I'm looking for the best people we can get for Carolina. That fit is a little different than what an NFL team would have, but we'll see."
Belichick announced during the press conference that UNC interim head coach Freddie Kitchens will be his "first hire." Kitchens has been the tight ends coach at North Carolina since 2023, and he has lots of NFL experience, including head coach experience with the Cleveland Browns. However, it's not known what his exact role will be on Belichick's staff.
The school is also hiring former NFL general manager and longtime Belichick friend Mike Lombardi to be the program's GM.
Belichick said Monday on ESPN's The Pat McAfee Show that North Carolina "would be an NFL program at a college level." Therefore, we should expect a lot of NFL influence throughout the program, including the coaching staff, training, nutrition, etc.