As the NFL coaching carousel gears up for another spin in the new year, all eyes naturally drift toward some of the sport’s most iconic names-and yes, that includes Bill Belichick. But if you’re expecting the six-time Super Bowl champion to make a dramatic return to the NFL sidelines this offseason, you might want to pump the brakes. A recent move-or at least a potential one-at North Carolina suggests Belichick could be staying put in Chapel Hill.
Sources around the Tar Heels program indicate that Belichick is working to bring in Bobby Petrino as his offensive coordinator. That’s no small hire. Petrino’s name carries serious weight in college football circles, and if Belichick is trying to land a coach of that caliber, it signals a level of long-term commitment to UNC that doesn’t align with someone eyeing a quick NFL exit.
To be clear, nothing is finalized yet. According to UNC insiders, there are still multiple steps to go before any hire is made official, and other candidates remain in the mix. But the fact that Belichick is even engaging in these conversations says a lot.
Petrino, now 64, is no stranger to the spotlight. He made his mark at Arkansas from 2008 to 2011, guiding the Razorbacks to back-to-back double-digit win seasons and turning them into a legitimate SEC contender.
His tenure ended in controversy in 2012 when he was dismissed for misleading school officials about an inappropriate relationship with a staff member. Still, his coaching résumé remains impressive.
Fast forward to 2024, and Petrino returned to Arkansas as the offensive coordinator. When the program moved on from head coach Sam Pittman, Petrino stepped in as interim head coach. Now, he’s potentially on the move again-this time to join forces with Belichick in Chapel Hill.
And here’s the key point: Belichick doesn’t make moves like this on a whim. If he were planning to bolt for the NFL in a few weeks, it’s hard to imagine him going out of his way to court a high-profile coordinator like Petrino. It’s the kind of strategic personnel move that suggests Belichick is invested in building something at North Carolina, not just passing through.
There’s been some chatter about the possibility of Belichick returning to the NFL coaching ranks, but let’s not forget-he hasn’t coached in the league since 2023. And based on how last offseason played out, there may not be much of a market for him among NFL teams.
Belichick didn’t wait around for offers last year; he accepted the UNC job in December 2024, well before the NFL hiring cycle even began. That move alone hinted that he knew the league wasn’t calling.
Then came his first season in Chapel Hill-a 4-8 campaign that didn’t exactly light the college football world on fire. It wasn’t the kind of turnaround that would suddenly make NFL owners rethink their stance. In fact, it likely confirmed what many already believed: that Belichick’s next chapter may not be on Sundays.
So while anything’s possible in the coaching world, all signs right now point to Belichick staying in the college game-at least for another year. He’s still Bill Belichick, after all.
His attention to detail, his football IQ, and his ability to build a staff are second to none. But if he’s going to rebuild his reputation and prove he’s still got it, doing so at UNC might be his best shot.