The winds of change are blowing through Chapel Hill, and Bill Belichick isn’t wasting any time reshaping the UNC football program. Two assistant coaches - offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens and special teams coordinator Mike Priefer - are out.
The university will eat the second year of their guaranteed contracts, which adds up to around $2 million. It’s a bold, early move in what’s shaping up to be a major overhaul under Belichick’s watch.
Let’s start with Kitchens. The former Cleveland Browns head coach took over UNC’s offense this season, but the results were, frankly, tough to watch.
The Tar Heels finished 129th out of 134 FBS teams in total offense - a steep drop for a program that not long ago was lighting up scoreboards with Drake Maye under center. Kitchens had joined Mack Brown’s staff in 2023 as the running game coordinator and tight ends coach, working with standout back Omarion Hampton and a deep tight end group.
But once Maye left for the NFL and the offense fell into the hands of South Alabama transfer Gio Lopez, the production cratered. Lopez finished 16th in the ACC in total offense, which - not coincidentally - is exactly where the team landed in the conference standings.
Kitchens ended the year as interim head coach after Brown’s dismissal, guiding a depleted squad into a Fenway Bowl loss to UConn. He joked that he never really applied for the job under Belichick, just “hung around” until the new boss arrived. But the numbers didn’t lie, and Belichick clearly didn’t see enough to keep him around.
On special teams, Mike Priefer didn’t fare much better. His units struggled across the board, with the lone bright spot being kicker Rece Verhoff, who ranked sixth in the ACC in field goal accuracy. Otherwise, UNC’s special teams were largely outmatched, and Belichick, known for his attention to detail in that phase of the game, made the call to move on.
Now, all eyes turn to who might be next. There’s already buzz around Bobby Petrino as a potential hire, though nothing is official yet. But one name still on staff is drawing plenty of attention: Matt Lombardi.
Lombardi, the quarterbacks coach, is the son of Belichick’s longtime confidant and former NFL GM Michael Lombardi. He’s under a reported two-year guaranteed contract - just like the assistants who were let go - but his resume is far thinner.
According to his bio, he’s held a wide range of titles: scout, special teams quality control, grad assistant, offensive analyst. But what’s missing?
Actual position coaching experience. Despite working for over a dozen college and NFL teams, Lombardi has never held a full-time position coach role until now.
That raises a fair question: What kind of impact did he have on UNC’s quarterback play this season? With Lopez under center and no clear offensive identity, it’s hard to say. And with Kitchens gone, it puts even more scrutiny on Lombardi’s role in the development - or lack thereof - of the Tar Heels’ quarterbacks.
It also begs the question: Was there an opportunity to retain Clyde Christensen? The veteran QB coach was on Brown’s staff for the past two seasons and brought a wealth of experience, having coached legends like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady in the NFL. Christensen is now associate head coach at Appalachian State, but his departure left a noticeable void in quarterback development at UNC - one that wasn’t filled this season.
Another familiar face now working elsewhere is Lonnie Galloway. The North Carolina native was Brown’s assistant head coach and offensive coordinator and is currently serving as an analyst at Clemson under Dabo Swinney. Galloway’s departure was part of the broader staff turnover, but his offensive acumen could be missed in Chapel Hill.
As for the names still in the building, there’s no shortage of star power. Former All-ACC running back Natrone Means and All-Pro linebacker Jamie Collins are both on staff.
But while their playing résumés are impressive, neither came into their roles with prior coaching experience. It’s another layer of intrigue in a program that’s clearly in transition.
Belichick’s arrival signaled a new era for UNC football, and these early moves show he’s not afraid to make tough calls. The coaching carousel is spinning in Chapel Hill, and it’s only just getting started.