ESPN analyst reveals UNC's first choice for HC before they signed Bill Belichick

The North Carolina Tar Heels brought renowned NFL head coach Bill Belichick to the program in the offseason. This upcoming season, they are beginning a new era with the 6×Super Bowl champion as a head coach. Belichick spent 24 seasons with the New England Patriots from 2000-2023.

The Tar Heels fired Mack Brown as their head coach following a disappointing 6-7 season. He spent six seasons with the program in his second stint at Chapel Hill. Bill Belichick was then hired as Brown's replacement, and in December 2024, he was officially announced as the program's 35th head coach.

Reports have now emerged that Bill Belichick was not UNC's first choice. According to an article published on Friday by ESPN's Chris Low, Andrea Adelson, and David Hale, the Tar Heels were hoping to reel in Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.

"'They were all hopeful they could lure Arthur Smith back to Chapel Hill, and then whether it was Belichick or anybody else, it would have been a moot point. Smith is who they wanted,' one source said," ESPN's story said.

Arthur Smith has a history with the Tar Heels. He played for the program during his collegiate career. Smith was a guard for UNC on the gridiron from 2001 to 2005. However, complications with a foot injury resulted in him not pursuing a professional career in the NFL. Smith graduated in 2006.

He then served one season as a graduate assistant before becoming the defensive quality control assistant of the Washington Redskins in 2007. From 2021 to 2023, he was the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. He was fired from the team after a third consecutive 7-10 season before being hired as the offensive coordinator of the Steelers in 2024.

---

Bill Belichick shares insight into UNC's recruitment process

After taking over as the head coach of the Tar Heels, Belichick immediately got to work. He started revamping both the coaching staff and the team to build a team that could compete for a spot in the 12-team playoff.

Belichick is navigating new and unique challenges in Chapel Hill, especially in recruitment. On Saturday's episode of ESPN College GameDay, Belichick spoke about his progress in recruitment with the Tar Heels.

"With all the players that left, we got plenty opportunity. We've signed guys, and we're going to recruit a big class this year. We have 105 scholarships, (more) than the 85 it used to be. So we got plenty of space. We're looking for good players," Belichick said.

Bill Belichick is also taking advantage of the transfer portal to build a strong team. According to reports, he has brought in 19 players from the portal, with CB Thaddeus Dixon from the Huskies and OL Daniel King from Toy as the headliners. It will be interesting to see if Belichick can achieve the same level of success at the collegiate level as he did in the NFL.