Bill Belichick lures NFL coach to UNC in major hire

Bill Belichick has secured a major coaching coup as he continues to make his mark on college football. 

Belichick has begun to assemble his team in his new role as head coach of the University of North Carolina Tar Heels and is already making waves. 

The former New England Patriots head coach had pledged to bring a ‘strong NFL presence’ with him to Chapel Hill and, so far, he’s keeping his promise. 

Belichick and the Tar Heels are reportedly close to finalizing a deal with longtime NFL special teams head coach Mike Priefer. 

Priefer, who most recently served as the special teams coordinator for the Cleveland Browns, is expected to reprise the role at North Carolina, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. 

The 58-year-old has coached special teams in the NFL since 2002 for a number of different franchises. 

Bill Belichick is continuing to assemble his team of staff in his new position at UNC

Belichick and the Tar Heels are reportedly close to a deal with special teams coach Mike Priefer

Belichick and the Tar Heels are reportedly close to a deal with special teams coach Mike Priefer

Over his two decades in the professional league, Priefer has worked as an assistant special teams coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Giants, as well as the head special teams coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, and Browns. 

Priefer is also a former Navy graduate, who served on their coaching staff as a grad assistant from 1994 to 1996.

Belichick has already thrown himself into the college process and started recruiting players and assembling his staff in Chapel Hill. 

The head coach recently revealed that he has been using social media to recruit players, despite only setting up an Instagram account last September. 

‘Yeah, definitely recruiting — a lot of guys going into the portal seems like every day as team’s seasons conclude with the bowl games and then the playoffs… a lot of people contacting us wanting to come to Carolina,’ he told the Pat McAfee Show in December. 

‘My Instagram account’s been busy. Scrolling through that, I never thought I’d be saying that, but here I am joining the 21st century. So that’s been good.’

Despite his fast start to life in Chapel Hill, Belichick has been linked to multiple NFL vacancies. 

Belichick reportedly has no plans or desire to return to the NFL and wants to stay at UNC

Belichick reportedly has no plans or desire to return to the NFL and wants to stay at UNC

It emerged earlier this month that a number of teams had sounded out the 72-year-old about the prospect of hiring him this offseason.

That included Tom Brady’s Las Vegas Raiders, who are one of six teams currently searching for a new head coach.

But Belichick, who won six Super Bowls with Brady and the New England Patriots, will not entertain any offers from the NFL ranks in the coming weeks, according to  The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.

She added that Belichick’s ‘sole focus is on coaching and recruiting for North Carolina, as he continues building the Tar Heels’ future.’

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