Six-time Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Belichick says he has had “good conversations” about the vacant post at the University of North Carolina.
News broke last week that the former New England Patriots coach was considering taking over at UNC in what would be his first college role.
“I’ve had an opportunity to talk to Chancellor [Lee] Roberts,” Belichick said Monday during his weekly appearance on ESPN’s The Pat McAfee Show. “We’ve had a couple of good conversations. We’ll see how it goes.”
Belichick indiated that if he did take over the college programme, it would have a professional feel.
“Let me put this in capital letters: If — I-F, IF — I was in a college program, the college program would be a pipeline to the NFL for the players that had the ability to play in the NFL.
“It would be a professional program — training, nutrition, scheme, coaching, techniques that would transfer to the NFL,” Belichick said on Monday.
“It would be an NFL program at a college level, and an education that would get the players ready for their career after football, whether that was at the end of their college career or at the end of their pro career.
“But it would be geared toward developing the player, time management, discipline, structure and all that that would be life skills regardless of whether they were in the NFL or in somewhere in business.
“I feel very confident that I have the contacts in the National Football League to pave the way for those players that would have the ability to have the opportunity to compete in the National Football League.
“Whether they’re good enough or not, I don’t know, but they would be ready for it, I don’t have any doubt about that.”
Belichick twice interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons during the last NFL hiring cycle after he parted ways with the Patriots after 24 seasons.
It is unclear whether the 72-year-old was being considered by any NFL sides, with three current spots currently open.
In his year off, Belichick said he would use the time to “take a longer look at college football”.
“I think there are a lot of football programs that are being structured similar to NFL programs,” Belichick said.
“In college, you now have high school recruiting, but you have college portal. In pro football, you have the draft and pro free agency. So you have salary cap and negotiations with NFL agents. In college, you have negotiations with whoever represents the player.”
Belichick added: “I think it’s a little different version of the NFL model, much more so than it’s ever been before. Let’s put it that way.”
