Earlier this evening, University of North Carolina head coach — and former Patriots longtime head coach — Bill Belichick took to Instagram to put to rest any rumors that he would pursue the newly opened Giants head coaching position. It was not a rumor that had made it to this site, just yet, but nonetheless, the Tar Heels’ skipper endeavored to put the thought to bed. 
“I have great respect and genuinely care for the New York Giants organization and both the Mara and Tisch families,” Belichick stated in a joint post from both his personal Instagram account and the official UNC Football account. “The New York Giants played an important role in my life and in my coaching journey. It was a privilege for me to work for the Mara family and be a member of Coach (Bill) Parcells’ staff for over a decade. However, despite circulating rumors, I have not and will not pursue any NFL head coaching vacancies.
“Since arriving in Chapel Hill, my commitment to the UNC Football program has not waivered,” he continued. “We have tremendous support from the university, our alumni, and the entire Carolina community. My focus remains solely on continuing to improve this team, develop players, and build a program that make Tar Heel fans proud.” He concluded, “We’re on to Wake Forest.”
Belichick spent 12 years in New York, joining then-head coach Ray Perkins‘ coaching staff as a special teams coach and defensive assistant. He was promoted to special teams/linebackers coach after a year with the team and was promoted to defensive coordinator shortly after the former DC, Parcells, took over for Perkins as head coach. His six-year run as a coordinator set up his first head coaching opportunity with the Browns.
After being linked to the Bears, Cowboys, Raiders, and Jets open head coaching jobs in the last coaching cycle, Belichick ultimately honored his commitment to the Tar Heels and became a college football coach for the first time. All of this came a year after Belichick was a main focus for the Falcons’ open job in 2024. A drawn-out, public spectacle that resulted in the hiring of Raheem Morris left a bad taste in Belichick’s mouth as he would remain unemployed throughout the 2024 season with an expectation to return to the NFL in 2025.
Instead, he made his way to Chapel Hill, where recruiting and academics became a new part of his coaching responsibilities. The Belichick-era at North Carolina got off to an inauspicious start as he lost his first three games against Power 4 opponents by a combined score of 120-33. The team has shown signs of life since, with closer losses to Cal (21-18) and ranked Virginia (17-16) before earning Belichick his first ACC wins against Syracuse and Stanford.
With three games remaining in the Tar Heels’ season, Belichick has an opportunity to build some momentum and earn bowl eligibility in his first collegiate season. It appears that will be crucial to the 73-year-old’s plans of turning around to football program in Chapel Hill, assuming he stays true to his assertion that he “will not pursue any NFL head coaching vacancies.”