North Carolina wants Bill Belichick to coach college football in Chapel Hill. However, the six-time Super Bowl champion reportedly wants to make sure that his son, Steve Belichick, would be the heir to his throne before he even considered accepting the job.
Any potential agreement between the elder Belichick and the Tar Heels will need to include a nepotistic clause in regard to his eventual successor.
Before we go any further, it must be noted that this entire process is in the very early stages. By all accounts, Belichick would much prefer to return to the NFL before he would dip down to college football. But with that being said, reports about an conversation between the two parties made it seem like a publicity stunt for both UNC and the former Patriots head coach. Although that may be true to some extent, that no longer seems to be the case.
Representatives from the university actually flew up to New York City and met with Belichick in person on Thursday, which is obviously a much bigger step than an initial phone call just to gauge interest. Things are becoming more serious by the day hour. He wants to get back on the sideline as soon as possible.
Bill Belichick is reportedly looking out for Steve Belichick.
There is no way to know exactly what Belichick discussed with the Tar Heels but we have a general idea. Money was part of the conversation. Staffing was another. According to a report from Ollie Connolly, publisher of The Read-Optional, they also spoke about a succession plan if he was to take the job— which is a very real possibility far beyond what initially appeared to be a gimmick.
Should Bill Belichick become the next head coach at North Carolina, Steve Belichick would be up next.
Per sources, I’m told Bill Belichick’s negotiations with North Carolina include a guarantee that Stephen Belichick will be named the school’s head coach in waiting. UNC is open to that guarantee. Discussions are not a bid to gain leverage for NFL offers and BB is open to the move
— Ollie Connolly
Steve currently serves as the defensive coordinator at Washington. There is already chatter at other college football programs about the possibility of bringing him on as a head coach. Should his father take the job in Chapel Hill, he would have a guaranteed job on the Power Five/Six level in a few years.
In addition to the discussion about Steve, Bill Belichick presented some potential names for his staff. Connolly says Matt Patricia and Ben McDaniels would be involved. He and North Carolina would also hire a sitting college General Manager to handle day-to-day operations, like NIL and recruiting.