‘I didn’t come here to leave’: Famed NFL coach Bill Belichick unveiled as head football coach at North Carolina

By Thomas Schlachter, CNN

(CNN) — The Bill Belichick era at the University of North Carolina is officially underway. On Thursday, the football icon, known for his renowned straight-to-the-point candor, was unveiled as the Tar Heels’ head coach.

Belichick, the second-most winningest head coach in NFL history, said it was a “dream” to be the new coach at UNC.

“I always wanted to coach in college football and it just never really worked out. I had some good years in the NFL so that was OK but this is really kind of a dream come true,” Belichick said during the press conference in Chapel Hill.

Belichick has ties to the university through his father, Steve, who was an assistant football coach for the Tar Heels from 1953 to 1955. He touched on some of these memories.

The famed coach recounted a story about his childhood in the Belichick household, where his first words were, “Beat Duke!” – the university’s bitter in-state rival. The coach described his return to Chapel Hill as a homecoming.

Belichick also unveiled his dad’s old UNC sweatshirt, which he has kept from when his father coached at the school.

This is the first coaching job for Belichick, who has won eight Super Bowls as a coach (six as the New England Patriots head coach and two as a New York Giants assistant), since he and the Patriots parted ways in January.

In addition to 24 seasons as the Patriots head coach, Belichick was head coach of the Cleveland Browns for the 1991-1995 seasons.

When asked why he wants to carry on coaching, the veteran’s response was simple.

“Beats working,” Belichick quipped.

“My dad told me this … when you love what you do, it’s not work. I love what I do, I love coaching, I love the interaction with the players, I love building a team, working with assistants, game planning, the game itself.”

Belichick, whose five-year deal runs through December 2029, also made it clear that he is here to stay in North Carolina and said he “didn’t come here to leave,” when asked about potential future NFL vacancies.

While Belichick admitted there were parallels between the NFL and college football, the longtime coach also noted the many differences.

But Belichick maintained that the game is still football. The coach made it clear that he is no stranger to developing young players, referencing Patriots stars Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, and Julian Edelman as players he helped become successful NFL stars.

Coach Belichick’s excitement at joining the University of North Carolina program was shared by the school’s athletic director.

“We are embarking on an entirely new football operation, and we can’t wait to have coach Belichick leading the charge for us,” Bubba Cunningham said.

“We are known as the University of National Champions and we have a Super Bowl champion coach who is here to lead the program.”

In honor of his new coach, Cunningham even wore a custom jacket with the sleeves ripped off — a famed look of Belichick’s while roaming the NFL sidelines.

For now, Belichick will focus on improving a middling college program. The Tar Heels finished the regular season with a 6-6 record and will face Connecticut in the Fenway Bowl on December 28.

The Tar Heels’ new head coach said he wants to return the program to its heyday of 1980 – the last time the football team won a conference title.

“There’s a lot of pride in this program and I want to do everything I can here to help take it to the highest level,” Belichick said.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

CNN’s Jill Martin contributed to reporting.