Bill Belichick Reportedly Makes Change at OC After Going 4-8 in 1st Season with UNC

Coming off a season in which the offense ranked 121st out of 136 FBS teams in points per game, North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick is making changes to his offensive staff.

According to Pete Nakos and Jeremiah Holloway of On3, Freddie Kitchens will not return as Tar Heels offensive coordinator in 2026.

ESPN's Pete Thamel reported North Carolina also fired special teams coordinator Mike Priefer.

Kitchens had been with the Tar Heels since 2023 under head coach Mack Brown. He spent his first two seasons as tights ends coach and run game coordinator.

After Brown was fired following the regular-season finale in November 2024, Kitchens served as North Carolina's interim head coach for the Fenway Bowl against Connecticut.

Belichick not only retained Kitchens from Brown's staff, but also promoted him to offensive coordinator for the 2025 season.

North Carolina's offense was a mess throughout the year. The team ranked 131st in yards per game, 112th in red-zone scoring percentage and 127th in touchdowns per game.

The Tar Heels scored fewer than 20 points in seven of 12 games. They finished 4-8 overall and 2-6 in ACC play, tied for 13th in the conference with Florida State and Virginia Tech.

Their four wins in 2025 were their fewest in a season since going 2-8 in 2019.

Kitchens spent the past four seasons in college football after 16 years in the NFL from 2006 to 2021. He is best known for his one-year tenure as head coach of the Cleveland Browns in 2019 when they finished 6-10.