Legendary coach Bill Belichick, who coached in the NFL for 49 years, is heading back to college. On Thursday, Dec. 12, he was introduced as the new head football coach for the University of North Carolina.
At 72 years old, Belichick is the oldest coach in college football. He signed a five-year deal worth $10 million annually.
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Although Belichick is known for his cut-off sleeve hoodies and dour demeanor, at Thursday’s press conference, he was downright cheerful when showing off an old Carolina sweatshirt that belonged to his father, who coached at the school in the 1950s.
“When you’re little, you don’t remember everything,” Belichick said. “I was too young to remember a lot of things at Carolina, but as I grew up, you hear the same story over and over and over again. One story I always heard was, ‘Billy’s first words were,’ “Beat Duke.””
He and the New England Patriots parted ways after a 3-14 season. However, over a 24-year tenure, he led the team to a record six Super Bowl titles. That places him second on the NFL’s all-time wins list –– just 14 short of Don Shula’s 347 victories.
So why head to the college ranks now?
“Had some good years in the NFL, so that was okay,” Belichick said. “But this is a dream come true. I grew up in college football with my dad coaching at the Naval Academy for 50 years. As a kid, all I knew was college football.”
Belichick replaces 73-year-old Mac Brown, who spent six years at UNC and was let go after a 6-6 season. Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham said Belichick’s legacy speaks for itself.
“In the immortal words of Yogi Berra, ‘The future ain’t what it used to be,'” Cunningham said. “And we are embarking on an entirely new football operation. We can’t wait to have him leading the charge for us.”
It’s a charge that will look very familiar to those who watched him in the pros and is a selling point for the players, Belichick said.
“When I say a pro program, I would say through my experience, what we did in terms of training, developing players, running pro systems, pro techniques,” Belichick said. “So when the players leave here, this isn’t going from the wishbone to a pro offense. It will be similar terminology, similar techniques and fundamentals, similar training, similar preparation techniques that have been very successful for me through the years.”
Belichick may also get some help from his son Steve Belichick, who serves as defensive coordinator at the University of Washington. According to ESPN and other outlets, he will soon join his father in Chapel Hill.
