Despite everything that went wrong in Bill Belichick's first season as North Carolina football head coach, there was no shortage of intrigue. Well, the NFL legend just ensured that Chapel Hill will remain a headline machine in 2026. The Tar Heels are hiring Bobby Petrino to be their new offensive coordinator, per Chris Low, Pete Nakos and InsideCarolina.
The polarizing figure most recently served as the interim HC for Arkansas, the program he initially led from 2008-11 before a motorcycle crash exposed an affair he was having with a female employee. Petrino also served two stints as head coach for Louisville, famously aiding in the development of Heisman Trophy winner and two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson. He will now team up with arguably the best defensive mind the game has ever seen.
North Carolina ranked outside the top-100 in points, passing yards and rushing yards in 2025. Belichick cut ties with OC and former Cleveland Browns HC Freddie Kitchens on Dec. 12, and will now trust Petrino to help him steady the waters. Building the Tar Heels into a powerhouse is an inherently difficult job, as the great Mack Brown can attest, but a volatile ACC should give new hope to the program.
If Duke can win the conference championship with five total losses, then a 4-8 North Carolina squad could feasibly engineer a swift turnaround. Bill Belichick is determined to excel in college, and Bobby Petrino surely welcomes the chance to work with a six-time Super Bowl-winning HC. A triumphant 2026 campaign would instantly revive their respective reputations.
Belichick and Petrino understand what it would mean to save North Carolina football. They have the brainpower and experience to take on that mission. Fans just hope that Father Time does not grab a hold of the two men before they complete it. When considering their collection of accolades and baggage, this Tar Heels experiment could turn into either a rousing success story or an optics nightmare.
An all-or-nothing outcome seems all too fitting for two coaches who live life to the extreme.
