Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Legendary former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick’s interest in joining North Carolina hasn’t been taken seriously by NFL executives, according to Mike Sando of The Athletic.
“Some NFL executives also laughed at the idea,” Sando reported on Monday.
Belichick reportedly interviewed with the Tar Heels regarding their head coaching vacancy as a potential replacement for Mack Brown, who was fired on Nov. 26.
Bleacher Report @BleacherReport
72-year-old Bill Belichick has interviewed with the University of North Carolina regarding its head coaching vacancy, per @GrantHughesNC 🤯
GOAT back? 🐐 pic.twitter.com/c0Yx58TQYd
Representatives from the university met with the eight-time Super Bowl winner again on Thursday, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.
While Belichick and the Patriots mutually agreed to part ways following the team’s 4-13 finish in 2023, his continued interest in coaching has been apparent. He interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons regarding the team’s head coaching vacancy before Raheem Morris was eventually hired.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on Saturday that “people around the NFL” are “skeptical” about Belichick’s interest in a college job, believing that he just wants to be back in the league.
The 72-year-old has been rumored to be interested in patrolling the sidelines for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the team still has Doug Pederson as head coach. Jones previously reported that the Jaguars are expected to have a vacancy at the end of the year, as they currently sit at 3-10 despite a win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
Belichick may choose to stand pat and see which NFL jobs are available before making his decision regarding the Tar Heels’ position.