Bill Belichick has interviewed with North Carolina officials about the Tar Heels‘ head-coach opening, sources confirmed to ESPN’s Chris Low on Thursday.
Belichick, 72, has been out of football since leaving the New England Patriots after 24 seasons and six Super Bowl titles in January.
He interviewed for several NFL head-coaching jobs last offseason. This season, while not coaching, he’s joined the media in covering the league, including a role as an analyst for the CW’s “Inside the NFL,” joining the Manning brothers for their “ManningCast” during ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” and with a weekly spot on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
Belichick was widely expected to pursue coaching jobs this offseason, but a move to the college ranks would be a first for him.
North Carolina is looking to find a replacement for Mack Brown. The ACC school had announced Nov. 26 that Brown would not return to the program next season, and he coached his final game with the Tar Heels on Saturday, a 35-30 loss to rival NC State that put their record at 6-6 for the year.
Freddie Kitchens, the former Cleveland Browns coach who has served as UNC’s run game coordinator and tight ends coach the past two seasons, is serving as interim head coach while the school seeks a replacement for Brown.
Inside Carolina first reported that Belichick had interviewed with UNC for the job.