Report: Bill Belichick 'Wants to Prove' Legacy in CFB 'Without Tom Brady's Shadow'

Bill Belichick is arguably the greatest coach in NFL history, but his next stop might be in the college game.

ESPN Chicago's Peggy Kusinski reported Sunday that Belichick "wants to prove his coaching legacy at the college level without Tom Brady's shadow over him."

With that as the backdrop, she noted there are ongoing contract negotiations between the legendary coach and North Carolina after the ACC program fired Mack Brown.

The idea of Belichick coaching at North Carolina seemed almost unfathomable not that long ago.

Yet there has been no shortage of reporting on the possibility. Inside Carolina (h/t Grant Hughes of 247Sports) first reported the two sides met, while Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reported there was s second meeting.

According to The Athletic's Dianna Russini, a source familiar with Belichick's thinking "expects" he would accept the job if the Tar Heels offered.

And NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport noted the coach is "fairly serious" about a jump to college:

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler appeared on Saturday's SportCenter and said some are "skeptical" of Belichick's interest in a college job, while others believe there is "some genuine interest." Fowler noted Belichick's son Steve, who is the defensive coordinator for the Washington Huskies, could join him at North Carolina.

This would be quite the twist as Belichick continues to build his legacy.

Kusinski specifically highlighted his desire to do so away from "Brady's shadow," which is notable since the coach and quarterback combination were the central pieces to arguably the greatest dynasty in NFL history. They won six Super Bowls together on the New England Patriots, although Brady added a seventh ring after he joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Winning in college, especially at a program that is not historically dominant like North Carolina, would be quite the addition to Belichick's resume and give him something to point to that happened outside of his time with Brady.

Still, he is also just 14 wins behind Don Shula's all-time NFL record of 347 regular season and playoff victories.

Winning with the Tar Heels wouldn't help him chase that record and potentially secure his spot as the greatest NFL coach in history.