UNC's Belichick: Coaching in college a 'dream come true'
It all came full circle for Bill Belichick when he accepted a college coaching job at North Carolina, which he called a "dream come true."
"I've always wanted to coach in college football, and it just never really worked out," Belichick told media Thursday at his introductory press conference, including The News & Observer's Andrew Carter. "I had some good years in the NFL, so that was OK. But this is really kind of a dream come true."
The NFL legend shocked the football world with his decision to sign a five-year contract reportedly worth $10 million per season with North Carolina to replace Mack Brown. The 72-year-old spoke of the historical significance of coaching the Tar Heels, as his father Steve Belichick also served on the UNC staff in the 1950s. He shared that among his first words to his father were, "Beat Duke."
"It's great to come back home to Carolina and come back home to an environment I grew up in," Belichick added, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Bill Belichick brought his dad's old UNC sweatshirt from his time coaching there. pic.twitter.com/9LVl3BcxTY
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) December 12, 2024
Belichick shut down any concerns that he would use his time in North Carolina as a platform to jump back into the NFL, stating "I didn't come here to leave," according to Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger.
The six-time Super Bowl champion head coach racked up 333 NFL victories (including playoffs), just 14 behind Don Shula for the most all time.
The former New England Patriots coach parted ways with the franchise after the 2023 season and didn't receive a job in 2024. He generated interest from the Atlanta Falcons, but the team elected to hire Raheem Morris instead.
Though Belichick will be 73 years old when the 2025 season kicks off, he says his love of the craft doesn't wear on him.
"It beats working," Belichick said, per Dellenger. "When you love what you do, it's not work. I love interaction with players, building a team, game-planning, the game itself."
One of the biggest question marks surrounding his arrival was how he would handle recruiting, but Belichick noted that he "absolutely" would love to make in-home visits to recruits. He also denied rumors that he handed the school a 400-page document detailing how he wanted to run the program.
"Don't believe everything you read in the papers. I have no idea where that came from ... I mean, come on," Belichick remarked, via CBS Sports.
Across 24 seasons with the Patriots, Belichick made nine Super Bowl appearances - winning six - and went 19 consecutive seasons without a losing record from 2001-19.