Bill Belichick may have just convinced UNC he should be their next head coach

Once it was clear that Bill Belichick would not be a head coach in the NFL for the 2024 season, the immediate assumption was that we would see him on a sideline again next year, especially since the list of likely openings would be more enticing. In the meantime, he planned to stay around the league in various media roles and showed a new side of himself that would potentially help win over some skeptics about his fit for their franchise.

With the season nearing its end, with just four games left in the regular season, the teams that will probably need a new head coach are becoming more apparent. Some have already become favorites for Belichick to land with, like the Cowboys and Jaguars.

But it looks like the prominent head coach might have other plans.

Reports last week revealed that Belichick was interviewing with the University of North Carolina for their head coach opening, which caught most by surprise since his NFL desires have been highly discussed this season. However, the details surrounding his interest made sense once revealed and now, Belichick himself is sharing more about the process, and it looks like he might be out of the NFL for the foreseeable future.

Bill Belichick's plans for UNC (IF hired) might be too good to pass up

While making his weekly appearance on ESPN's The Pat McAfee Show on Monday, Belichick remained mum about the exact details regarding his interview process with UNC. He confirmed they have spoken at length and reiterated his interest in joining the college football scene, as that had been questioned.

How he plans to run UNC, if hired, has made it almost impossible for the program to turn him down, with him hoping to run the team as closely to an NFL franchise as possible while creating a pipeline to the NFL for the players.

Considering the concerns about how Belichick would run a college program, which have been the highlight of the last several days, this seems to settle that in the best way possible.

A university like UNC would love to have this sort of connection to the NFL for their players and be recognized more nationally than they currently are, and who better to do that than the guy who led the New England Patriots to six Super Bowls in 20 years?

It was a really good answer from the head coach, and it might have made it more difficult for UNC to pass up the opportunity.

More Patriots news and analysis: