Eight-time Super Bowl-winning head coach Bill Belichick was hired in early December as the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels. The team still has a bowl game left to play in 2024 — who will be the head coach?
Is Bill Belichick Coaching North Carolina in the Fenway Bowl?
As the Tar Heels (6-6) prepare to take on the UConn Huskies (8-4) in the Fenway Bowl, one former NFL head coach will call the shots come game time.
That head coach will not be Belichick.
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Belichick explained at his introductory press conference, “Several coaches are involved in bowl games, so I won’t interfere with the process of those schools and their commitments to those teams.”
While he was hired in early December, instead of participating heavily in bowl game preparation, Belichick has been busy on the recruiting and transfer portal trail. He’s already secured 2025 four-star quarterback Bryce Baker. Belichick and Baker posed together, each sporting Carolina blue.
North Carolina QB commit Bryce Baker and his family enjoying the day with Bill Belichick in Chapel Hill: https://t.co/sNVa2tIfnP pic.twitter.com/PY99MJ6mKH
— Steve Wiltfong (@SWiltfong_) December 14, 2024
Instead of Belichick, Freddie Kitchens will assume the head coaching role in the Fenway Bowl and try to lead the team to a winning record to finish the 2024 season. Kitchens is no stranger to North Carolina football — he’s spent the last two seasons in Chapel Hill as the run-game coordinator and tight ends coach.
Following the firing of former head coach Mack Brown, Kitchens was named the interim head coach on December 1 for the remainder of the 2024 season. Kitchens was the Cleveland Browns head coach in 2019, finishing with a 6-10 record before being let go after only one season.
But once the game is over, expect Belichick to take full control of the program. His first decision reportedly involves bringing Kitchens back in a role that’s yet to be determined.
Belichick went on, saying, “I’ve already had a lot of people contact me. There will be a strong presence of NFL people on the staff and in the training room. At the same time, I’m looking for the best people we can get for Carolina.”
While the future looks bright for North Carolina football, the team can’t forget about the task at hand: defeating the Huskies and achieving an over .500 record in the 2024 season, led by Kitchens.
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