Former Notre Dame player and coach labeled as UNC front runner before Bill Belichick came into the picture
What a wild 24 hours it has been, seeing former New England Patriots legend Bill Belichick accept the head coaching position with the North Carolina Tar Heels. This will be Belichick’s first college coaching job ever, having begun his NFL coaching career in 1975 before leaving the Patriots following the 2023 season. During his 29-year […]
What a wild 24 hours it has been, seeing former New England Patriots legend Bill Belichick accept the head coaching position with the North Carolina Tar Heels. This will be Belichick’s first college coaching job ever, having begun his NFL coaching career in 1975 before leaving the Patriots following the 2023 season.
During his 29-year career as an NFL head coach, 24 with New England and five with the Cleveland Browns, Belichick accumulated an overall record of 302-165. He won six Super Bowls, and was also named AP Coach of the Year three different times. Belichick ended his NFL third all-time in regular season victories, just 26 total behind Don Shula for the top spot.
How well this experiment goes is going to be a very interesting one. Obviously Belichick is a great coach, but he’s 72 years old, and about to embark on the wonderful world of NIL and the transfer portal. According to ESPN Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter, there was one other notable candidate for the job.
Former Notre Dame quarterback and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees was viewed as the front runner for the job if not for the interest from Belichick. Rees currently serves as the tight end coach and passing game coordinator for the Cleveland Browns.
Rees spent four years with the Fighting Irish as a player. During that stretch, Rees threw for 7,670 yards and 61 touchdowns. He was best known for his role during the team’s journey to a national championship appearance during the 2012 season, where Rees came into games for starting quarterback Everett Golson and helped preserve an undefeated regular season.
After his playing career, Rees spent brief stints with Northwestern and the San Diego Chargers before returning to South Bend. During his return from 2017-2022, he served between roles as the quarterback coach and the offensive coordinator for the Irish. Rees also spent the 2023 season as the Alabama offensive coordinator before landing in Cleveland this season.
