North Carolina Eyes Bobby Petrino for OC Role, But Deal Not Done Yet
The North Carolina Tar Heels are actively working to bring in Bobby Petrino as their next offensive coordinator-but as of now, it’s not a done deal.
According to reports, UNC is deep in the process of trying to land the veteran coach, but multiple steps still need to be finalized before anything becomes official. Sources close to the program have indicated that while Petrino is a serious candidate, other names remain in play, and no announcement is imminent. In short: this is far from a lock.
Still, the interest in Petrino makes a lot of sense when you consider where the Tar Heels stand offensively-and it’s not a pretty picture. North Carolina parted ways with Freddie Kitchens after a rough 4-8 campaign, and the offense was a major reason why. Under head coach Bill Belichick’s first year at the helm, UNC's offense struggled to find any rhythm or consistency, finishing near the bottom nationally in several key categories.
To put it bluntly: only five FBS teams averaged fewer yards per game than the Tar Heels this season. They ranked 121st in scoring offense, putting up just 19.3 points per game, and 124th in rushing with only 105.3 yards per contest. For a program that had higher hopes under a legendary NFL coach, that kind of production just won’t cut it.
That’s where Petrino comes in. The 64-year-old has a long track record of engineering high-powered offenses and reviving stagnant units.
Most recently, he served as the interim head coach at Arkansas, though the Razorbacks didn’t win a game under his leadership in 2025, going 0-7. Still, his broader résumé speaks volumes: a 119-63 record as a collegiate head coach, with two separate stints each at Louisville and Arkansas, plus a year at Western Kentucky.
Petrino’s offensive mind has never been in question. At Louisville, he led the Cardinals to national prominence in the mid-2000s.
At Arkansas, he posted a 21-5 record over his final two seasons before his tenure ended in 2012. He’s known for his ability to develop quarterbacks and install complex, aggressive schemes that can put up points in a hurry.
For Belichick, who took over at UNC last December with hopes of elevating the program, this offseason marks a critical turning point. The 2025 campaign marked the first time since 2019 that the Tar Heels missed a bowl game.
But context matters-Belichick inherited a roster that wasn’t built to his specifications, and it showed. The offensive line was inconsistent, the quarterback play was shaky, and the run game never got off the ground.
That said, there are reasons for optimism in Chapel Hill. Belichick has already secured a top-20 recruiting class for 2026, signaling that the program still has pull under his leadership. The foundation is being laid-but now it’s about finding the right pieces to accelerate the rebuild.
Hiring someone like Petrino would be a bold move-one that signals UNC is serious about flipping the script offensively. But until the ink is dry, the Tar Heels' next offensive coordinator remains an open question. And with other candidates still in the mix, this is a storyline worth watching closely as the offseason unfolds.