The University of North Carolina wanted to hire the old Falcons Arthur Smith flop before turning to Bill Belichick, it emerged.
Belichick joined the Tar Heels at the end of last year, in a sensational decision that sees him lead his first university football team at the age of 72.
The legend of the NFL won a record of six Super Bowls while in New England and its move created a huge buzz around Chapel Hill before the 2025 season.
But, according to ESPN, the first choice of Tar Heels was in fact the former coach of Atlanta Smith – a former UNC player. The 42 -year -old man was dismissed by Falcons last January after three disappointing years in charge.
Smith finished his mandate with a file of 21-30, the Falcons going 7-10 in each of his three seasons.
They failed to reach the playoffs under the 42 years, who is now working as an offensive coordinator of Pittsburgh Steelers.
Bill Belichick would only have been hired after the UNC did not win his main coaching objective
It is said that the UNC sports director Bubba Cunningham wanted Arthur Smith (right)
Belichick is photographed with his girlfriend Jordon Hudson in front of the Super Bowl in New Orleans
It is said that UNC’s sports director Bubba Cunningham contacted Smith in early November – before the coach of the Mack Brown fee.
Smith was not interviewed for the role – Cunningham just wanted to understand if he was interested in a return to Chapel Hill, where he played as a guard.
According to ESPN, it was not until the end of November – when the news of the UNC’s approach to Smith began to emerge – that the search for a new coach was opened.
Smith, who would have been “uncomfortable” at the idea of being seen to Saper Brown, publicly insisted that he was happy in the NFL.
Soon, Cunningham had established a list of more than 30 candidates, only for several members of the school board to put pressure for Belichick.
ESPN reports that the former Patriots coach said that he was interested in the old friend Marco Rubio – now Secretary of State.
Before hiring Belichick, UNC would have done two research, Cunningham and the athletics department in mind. The other, led by the members of the board of directors, was concentrated only on Belichick.
