Bill Belichick says he spoke with UNC legends, including Michael Jordan and Lawrence Taylor, before taking the job
Bill Belichick doesn’t go to Chapel Hill blindly.
After spending nearly five decades on the sidelines of the NFL, the eight-time Super Bowl champion took his first college coaching job with the Tar Heels.
He was officially introduced on Thursday.
Early reports of Belichick’s interest in the job were often scoffed at, but it’s clear he was interested in making the jump.
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New North Carolina Tar Heels coach Bill Belichick at the Loudermilk Center for Excellence. (Photos by Jim Dedmon/Imagn)
He was so engrossed in work that he had talked to several of the school’s most famous students, including Michael Jordan and Lawrence Taylor. Belichick also said he spoke with Julius Peppers.
Jordan starred at Chapel Hill before becoming the greatest basketball player of all time, and Taylor became a cornerstone of UNC’s defense before being drafted by the New York Giants and coached by Belichick. The pair won two Super Bowls and a Big Blue.
Peppers, an NFL legend, also played basketball for the school.
In typical Belichick fashion, he didn’t reveal who they were talking about, but said they were all “very supportive.”
North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick speaks to the media at the Loudermilk Center for Excellence. (Photos by Jim Dedmon/Imagn)
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“There’s been a lot of support,” he added, “from former players and other UNC students. This is a great sign and a great support system here. So, I’m happy to spend more time with these people.”
It’s a five-year contract for Belichick, who added that he “didn’t come [to Chapel Hill] walking.”
North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick stands with athletic director Bubba Cunningham during a press conference on December 12, 2024, in Chapel Hill, NC (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
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Belichick, 72, discussed at least two NFL jobs last season after he and the New England Patriots parted ways after 24 seasons and six championships.
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