Bill Belichick is set to make a move back into coaching, but not in the NFL.

The legendary coach, who has won six Super Bowls, is reportedly in the final stages of a deal with the University of North Carolina to become their next head football coach, as per ESPN and various news outlets. Inside Carolina was the first to cover this story.

With a total of 333 victories (including postseason games), Belichick is just 14 wins away from matching the record set by Don Shula for the most wins by an NFL coach. After his 23-year tenure with the New England Patriots, he was not retained for the upcoming 2024 season and did not secure any new coaching roles in the offseason, despite being a candidate for the Atlanta Falcons position.

The possible partnership between Belichick and UNC was first noted last week. During an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Monday, he shared that he had “a couple of good conversations” with Chancellor Lee H. Roberts, but refrained from disclosing too many details about their discussions.

Belichick did discuss his vision for the college program, stating it would aim to operate like a professional unit, focusing on nutrition, strength training, and player development.

“I believe many college football programs are being structured in a manner similar to professional teams,” he remarked.

Since parting ways with the Patriots, Belichick has been making appearances in NFL media this season. Apart from his regular contributions on McAfee’s show, he also features on “ManningCast” during “Monday Night Football” and co-hosts an ESPN preview show with Peyton Manning, in addition to being a weekly member of “Inside the NFL.”

Belichick has never worked in college football previously. His coaching journey began in 1974 as a special assistant for the Baltimore Colts, followed by positions with the Denver Broncos before joining the New York Giants in 1980. He won his first of eight Super Bowl titles as a defensive coordinator with the Giants under Bill Parcells, and his first head coaching job was with the Cleveland Browns in 1991, just shy of his 40th birthday.

Growing up, Belichick was influenced by his father, Steve Belichick, who had a long coaching career at the United States Naval Academy and previously coached at UNC. A notable moment highlighted on the McAfee Show featured a childhood photo of Bill at Kenan Stadium.

Belichick’s son, Steve Belichick, is currently the defensive coordinator at the University of Washington and is expected to join his father’s coaching staff at UNC (he and his brother Brian previously worked with Belichick at the Patriots). Reports have suggested that Steve might be seen as coach-in-waiting.

At the age of 72, Belichick will be the oldest coach in college football, taking over from Mack Brown, who was the previous record holder. Brown had two stints coaching the Tar Heels and won the 2006 national championship with Texas before being dismissed from UNC on November 26.

Recently, some of Belichick’s former players from New England—including Tom Brady, Julian Edelman, and Rob Gronkowski—reacted skeptically to the idea of him transitioning to college coaching. Nevertheless, with evolving dynamics like name, image, likeness funding, and the transfer portal, college football programs are becoming more like NFL franchises.

Belichick’s last Super Bowl victory was in 2018. After Tom Brady left in 2020, the Patriots only made the playoffs once. Following a 4-13 season in 2023, Belichick was succeeded by Jerod Mayo; New England has only won three games this year.

“He is a great coach,” Mayo remarked during a appearance on Boston radio station WEEI. “For me, it doesn’t matter if you’re a rookie or a 10-year veteran; he’s a fantastic teacher. I wish him all the best. I believe he’ll find success no matter the level.”

This is a developing story that will be updated as new information becomes available.