Report: Bill Belichick Was UNC's 2nd Choice for HC Job After Steelers' Arthur Smith

Bill Belichick reportedly was not North Carolina's first choice to succeed Mack Brown as head coach of the football team.

Prior to Brown's November firing, UNC director of athletics Bubba Cunningham "had his sights set on" Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith for the job, according to ESPN's David Hale, Andrea Adelson and Chris Low.

According to Hale, Adelson and Low, Smith was seen as a "consensus candidate" between Cunningham, UNC chancellor Lee Roberts and North Carolina board members.

According to the ESPN reporters, one team source said: "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."

Smith played guard for North Carolina between 2001 and 2005, then spent one season as a graduate assistant at UNC before taking his first NFL job in 2007. He coached the Atlanta Falcons for three years before joining the Steelers ahead of the 2024 season.

Hale, Adelson and Low reported that Cunningham reached out to Smith prior to Brown's firing in order to "gauge his interest" in the position.

Smith was "intrigued" by the opportunity, but became "uncomfortable being seen as undercutting Brown" before the head coach was officially fired, per Hale, Adelson, and Low.

UNC announced the program would part ways from Brown on Nov. 26. Two days later, Smith told reporters he had received a "preliminary call" from UNC.

"I appreciate it, love that place. But that's not my focus," Smith said on Nov. 28, per ESPN's Brooke Pryor. "I mean I've got one of the best jobs in football right now. There's a lot to be said too about [how you] can't put a price on personal and professional happiness, which I have here."

That was when UNC board members began to change direction and focus on Belichick, according to Hale, Adelson and Low.

Just under two weeks after Smith's comments, UNC named Bill Belichick as head coach on Dec. 11.

Reports from The Athletic's Brendan Marks and Ralph D. Russo, as well as CBS Sports' John Talty, pointed toward UNC Board of Trustees chair John Preyer as the driving force behind the focus on Belichick.

Peter Hans, president of the UNC system, was apparently unhappy with these reports. In a memo sent to Preyer and Roberts shortly after Belichick's hiring, which was obtained by The Assembly's Matt Hartman, Hans said trustees negotiating business transactions could "create substantial legal risk" for UNC.

There was apparently some concern at North Carolina that Belichick, who signed a five-year deal with the program, could leave the Tar Heels if given another opportunity in the NFL.

According to public records obtained by Hale, Adelson and Low, UNC was "closely monitoring" Belichick's interest in NFL jobs after the hiring.

Belichick's contract includes a $10 million buyout that falls to $1 million after June 1, per On3's Nick Schultz.

For now, Belichick will get ready to coach his first college game in September, while Smith will prepare for his second season as the Steelers' OC.