By Mark Bergin, WRAL senior multiplatform producer

Chapel Hill, N.C. — Six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick interviewed this week for the head coaching vacancy at the University of North Carolina, Inside Carolina reported Thursday.

WRAL Sports has not independently confirmed Belichick’s interview with UNC.

The Tar Heels are looking to replace Mack Brown, the school’s all-time leader in football coaching victories. Brown was fired with three years left on his contract.

UNC athletics director Bubba Cunningham said Monday on a school podcast that he hopes to hire a coach within a week. Cunningham said he and a small advisory group have whittled a list of about 30 names down to about a dozen.

There will be video interviews with that pool of candidates before in-person interviews with a group of finalists and a small contingent from UNC.

“How do we get to 10, 11 (wins)?” Cunningham said. “Who can get us to that level? … We need somebody to come in and take us from good to great. How do we compete for championships, ACC and national championships? And I think we can do that.”

Several reports have indicated Belichick wants to get back into coaching after leaving the New England Patriots in January 2024.

Belichick is 72 years old. If UNC hired him, it would make him the oldest active head coach in FBS college football.

Belichick was the Patriots’ head coach from 2000-2023. He also served as the de facto general manager during the same time span.

Last offseason, Belichick interviewed for the Atlanta Falcons for their head coaching position. The Falcons opted to hire Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris instead.

Belichick does not have previous collegiate coaching experience. His son, Steve, is the defensive coordinator at the University of Washington.

Cunningham said “all the coaches we’re talking to right now are playing. They’re continuing to be in championship games or the playoffs.”

College teams that are playing this weekend: SMU, Clemson, Oregon, Penn State, Arizona State, Iowa State, Texas, Georgia, Boise State, UNLV, Tulane, Army, Louisiana, Marshall, Ohio, Miami (OH), Jacksonville State, Western Kentucky.

Several coaches at those schools have been linked to the UNC job in various media reports, including Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall, Georgia defensive coordinator Glenn Shumann, UNLV’s Barry Odom and Iowa State’s Matt Campbell.

Cunningham said his preference has been to hire a sitting head coach or a previous head coach. But several recent hires at UNC have not had that experience, including men’s basketball coach Hubert Davis and field hockey coach Erin Matson.

Brown coached in the Tar Heels’ 35-30 loss to NC State to end close out the regular season.

On Sunday, UNC announced Freddie Kitchens will serve as the Tar Heels’ interim head coach. Kitchens has served as North Carolina’s run game coordinator and tight ends coach for the last two years. He was also the head coach of the Cleveland Browns in 2019.

UNC (6-6, 3-5 ACC) is bowl eligible and is due to find out their bowl game and opponent on Sunday.

Brown, 73, was the oldest active head coach in FBS college football. Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz, 69, becomes the oldest active coach after Brown’s departure.

Before Brown’s firing, he was one of just three active coaches with a national championship. Clemson’s Dabo Swinney and Georgia’s Kirby Smart are the others.

Source: wralsportsfan.com