UNC Apparently Had Another First Choice Ahead Of Bill Belichick

The University of North Carolina Tar Heels are paying Bill Belichick $10 million per year to be their head football coach. And he still wasn't their first choice to take the job.

That's according to a new report from ESPN, which claims that UNC had another top candidate in mind, before eventually landing on Belichick.

UNC's athletic director Bubba Cunningham instead had a top target early in his process: Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Per the report, Cunningham started gauging Smith's interest in November, before the UNC job was even open. Though they didn't conduct a formal interview, Smith was widely viewed as the most likely candidate. 

"They were all hopeful they could lure Smith back to Chapel Hill, and then whether it was Belichick or anybody else, it would have been a moot point. Smith is who they wanted," said a source quoted by ESPN.

But because the status of former head coach Mack Brown had yet to officially be determined, Smith stayed noncommittal. And eventually UNC moved on.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels addresses the crowd during halftime in the game against the La Salle Explorers at the Dean E. Smith Center on December 14, 2024. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

Bill Belichick Costs A Lot Of Money For A Second Choice

UNC now seems overjoyed to have Belichick on its side, with the university's chancellor Lee Roberts sayaing in February that the response is "more overwhelmingly positive than we imagined." 

"We obviously wouldn't do it if we didn't think it was a wise investment, and it's still early, but we couldn't feel better about where we are with that," Roberts said.

But it's hard to believe UNC is paying $10 million per year to its second choice. Even if that second choice is one of the best football coaches in history. Belichick also brought in a general manager with NFL experience, costing even more money.

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Belichick brings a massive increase in funding and outside interest to the UNC program, and he might even be a great fit on the field too. Despite the differences in the college game. Despite being the Tar Heels' first choice, it's hard to imagine Arthur Smith being capable of building excitement around the program in quite the same way.