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North Carolina is expected to hire Bobby Petrino as an assistant football coach on the 2026 staff. Reports broke of mutual interest early Monday.
Hours later, doubt surrounds that pairing. New intel suggests the partnership is not yet set in stone.
The Tar Heels boasted one of college football’s worst offenses in the ’25 campaign. The unit ranked 121st in scoring at 19.2 points per game. It was 129th in total offense, good for dead last in the ACC.
Just five NCAA teams were less productive than North Carolina in terms of yards gained. Now, a change will be made.
Offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens was fired. The search for his replacement is on. The top target appears to be in the crosshairs.
North Carolina football is expected to hire Bobby Petrino.
The play caller spent last season with the Arkansas Razorbacks. He was elevated to interim head coach after Sam Pittman’s midseason firing.
That promotion represented a full circle moment.
Petrino landed his first head coaching job at Louisville. He moved onto Arkansas after four years.
With the Razorbacks, he posted a 34-24 overall record. The program was cruising with back-to-back 10-win seasons when the wheels came off.
Petrino was fired after a motorcycle accident uncovered an inappropriate relationship between him and a staff member. He worked his way back from the bottom.
After more than a decade, he returned to Fayetteville. He needed special permission from the AD in order to be hired by the school, which was given.
Petrino acted as head coach for his last seven games with the team, going 0-7. Now, it appears he’s headed to Chapel Hill.
There are still steps to complete.
News of Bobby Petrino’s hiring leaked on Monday. A new report, however, suggests someone jumped the gun.
Pete Thamel of ESPN provided an update to the situation on social media. He says the deal is not done yet. His North Carolina football sources told him that there’s no announcement scheduled.
Update: Per UNC sources, there’s still multiple steps remaining before any potential hire is announced. No announcement is imminent, and other candidates remain engaged.
That update comes after the school received backlash for targeting Petrino. The Tar Heels dealt with enough drama last offseason. Donors and administration might not want more negative attention.
If that is the case, there is a chance North Carolina can block the hiring. Thamel’s update leaves the door open for another candidate to be selected.
With all of that being said, Bobby Petrino remains the frontrunner in North Carolina football’s offensive coordinator race. Until the ink dries on a contract, that news won’t be official.