Bill Belichick hired by North Carolina: How Drake Maye, Lawrence Taylor, others reacted to the stunning news
Written by CBS SPORTS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on December 12, 2024
Bill Belichick has agreed to become the next head coach at North Carolina as the school officially announced the news on Wednesday night. It’s a stunning hire that brings the legendary NFL head coach to the college ranks for the first time in any capacity. Belichick, 72, will be the oldest head coach in the FBS.
North Carolina, which fired Mack Brown in late November, has produced plenty of NFL players past and present, and the most notable former Tar Heel currently playing is Patriots quarterback Drake Maye. The No. 3 pick in the 2024 draft called Chapel Hill a “great place” and Belichick heading there “cool” and “pretty interesting for me.”
“Chapel Hill is a great spot. It’s a cool thing for a Hall of Fame coach to go back and coach some college kids,” Maye said.
Commanders wide receiver Dyami Brown, a UNC alum, mentioned college football is a “different ball game” with NIL and other factors and joked about how Belichick may handle that aspect.
“I hope he can recruit!” Brown joked.
Here’s how Hall-of-Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor, a North Carolina product, reacted:
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy had plenty to say about Belichick’s move.
“Wow, that’s great. It’s a beautiful place,” he said eliciting some laughs. “No, I’m serious, I think it’s cool. I really do. Coaching is coaching. I’ll say one thing: He’ll be someone to be reckoned with. I have a lot of respect for Bill and the job that he’s always done. He’s always very difficult to compete against, but that’s a whole new realm. I’ve been [in the NFL] since 1992 and I can’t imagine what it’s like now, especially with all the changes. But congratulations to him. I’m happy for him.”
McCarthy, who began his coaching career in the college ranks, added he didn’t consider a return to that level between his stints with the Packers and Cowboys, but that coaching college was his original goal when he got into the profession.
Second-year Panthers coach Dave Canales is excited to have an NFL legend so nearby.
Here’s how CBS Sports analyst Logan Ryan — drafted by New England in 2013 and a two-time Super Bowl winner in four seasons under Belichick — reacted:
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