Former NFL coach Bruce Arians offers advice to Bill Belichick as North Carolina football coaching rumors swirl.
Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has spent much of the NFL season focused on the media.
When Belichick interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons in January, the franchise chose not to extend an offer to the coach. Belichick didn't seem to attract much interest from any other NFL team, but his regular appearances on ESPN's “ManningCast” and the CW's “Inside the NFL” kept him close to football.
But this coach who has won the Super Bowl six times seems to still be interested in coaching.
During an appearance on the “Pat McAfee Show” earlier this week, Belichick confirmed that he has had discussions with the North Carolina Tar Heels about their coaching vacancy.
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians before the game against the Chicago Bears at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., Oct. 24, 2021. (Kim Klement/USA Today Sports)
While it's still unclear whether Belichick will be in Chapel Hill next season, another former NFL coach has stepped into a developing situation.
Bruce Arians, who led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the 2021 Super Bowl, admitted he was “very surprised” his contemporaries showed interest in coaching at the college level. Arians also offered advice to Belichick.
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“I'm very surprised. I thought he was going to wait out the NFL recruiting process to play,” Arians said during a recent appearance on the “Scoop City” podcast. “There are good things about going back to college, but I'm impatient with freshmen. I'm sure I'm impatient with freshmen.”
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick blows his whistle during practice on Sept. 18, 2019, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)
Arians and Belichick are both 72 years old. Arians stepped down from coaching and stepped into a coordinator role with the Bucs in 2022.
“If I'm going to give Bill one piece of advice, you better bring a lot of patience with you,” Arians said. “To deal with rookies making money, but now rookies making money? It must be ridiculous trying to coach those guys.”
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick gives instructions from the sideline during the second half against the Los Angeles Chargers Oct. 31, 2021, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Arian's coaching career began at the college level. He spent time working out for Mississippi State, Alabama and other programs.
If Belichick lands at UNC or another college program, he'll have to carefully navigate the name, image and likeness (NIL) and transfer portal. The NCAA transfer portal opened earlier this week. The NIL and Portal have drastically changed the landscape of college football in the last few years.
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Belichick shared some details about what the college program would look like if he were the head coach.
“If I was in a college program, the college program would be the NFL's pipeline for players who have the ability to play in the NFL,” he said. “It can be a professional program – training, nutrition, program, coaching and techniques that will transfer to the NFL.”
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