6 Former Patriots Who Could Follow Bill Belichick to UNC
The 2024 NFL regular season is rapidly coming to an end. There are four weeks left in the regular season before offseason chatter takes full speed.
There was an expectation that Bill Belichick would be one of the hottest names this coaching cycle and could be landing his next NFL gig. Over the past couple of days, there were rumors that Belichick was interested in becoming the head coach at the University of North Carolina after Mack Brown was fired in late November.
On Wednesday, the rumors became true, as ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Belichick and UNC are close to finalizing a deal for him to become the new head coach.
Chapel Bill: six-time Super-Bowl-winning head coach Bill Belichick is finalizing a deal to become the new head coach at North Carolina, sources tell me, @PeteThamel and @ClowESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 11, 2024
Belichick is going back to school, to where his father served as an assistant coach in the 1950s. pic.twitter.com/tcx7x00Alp
It's a bit surprising that Belichick is headed to the college football ranks when he's just 15 wins away from passing Don Shula to become the winningest coach in NFL history. Regardless, it looks like this deal is all but confirmed so Belichick will be tasked with building his coaching staff.
The 72-year-old was the head coach in New England for 24 seasons and has built a bunch of relationships with coaches and players. Below we'll discuss some potential players and coaches he could bring with him to Chapel Hill.
1. Troy Brown
Troy Brown has been a Patriot for his entire career. He was drafted by New England in 1993 and spent his entire 15-year career with them. Brown was a three-time Super Bowl champion (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX) and was a five-time co-captain in New England.
The 53-year-old joined New England's coaching staff in 2019. He's held roles as a running back and kick returner coach. From 2021-2023, he became the wide receivers coach before becoming the skill development/kick and punt returners coach this season.
Brown has helped develop guys like Gunner Olszewski, Jakobi Meyers, and Marcus Jones. He could be someone Belichick looks to bring with him over to Chapel Hill.