The University of North Carolina commanded the national sports spotlight on Thursday afternoon, officially introducing Bill Belichick as its next head football coach.
The hire fills the fifth collegiate head coaching vacancy in North Carolina this cycle and headlines a whirlwind of changes across the state.
Here’s a recap of the hires so far:
- East Carolina: Blake Harrell, who went 4-1 as interim coach, was promoted to full-time head coach.
- North Carolina A&T: Former running backs coach Shawn Gibbs was announced as head coach just two days after Vincent Brown’s dismissal.
- Charlotte: The 49ers made a splash by hiring Tim Albin, fresh off a MAC championship at Ohio University.
- Appalachian State: The Mountaineers tapped South Carolina offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains to lead their program.
- North Carolina: After days of speculation, UNC landed six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick, bringing NFL-level expertise to Chapel Hill.
Three programs—Davidson, Shaw, and Elizabeth City State—continue their searches for new leadership. Davidson is replacing Scott Abell, who departed for Rice University, while ECSU is sorting through 68 applications for its D2 opening, according to the Daily Advance newspaper. Shaw University, ECSU’s CIAA conference rival in the CIAA, has yet to name a successor for Adrian Jones.
Will there be more movement?
Coaching changes as late as January aren’t uncommon in North Carolina (see: Lenoir-Rhyne last year). The ever-evolving college football landscape has taught us to expect the unexpected—like a 72-year-old NFL legend with no college head coaching experience teaming up with a traditionally “sleeping giant” program in Chapel Hill.
Timeline of NC College Football Head Coaching Changes
Dec. 12: UNC officially introduces Bill Belichick in a nationally televised press conference.
Dec. 11: UNC confirms Bill Belichick as its next head coach.
Dec. 7: Appalachian State hires South Carolina offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains as head coach.
Dec. 7: Charlotte hires Tim Albin, who led Ohio to a MAC championship, as its new head coach.
Dec. 6: North Carolina A&T names former running backs coach Shawn Gibbs as head coach.
Dec. 4: NC A&T parts ways with head coach Vincent Brown.
Dec. 3: Shaw fires Adrian Jones as head coach.
Dec. 2: Appalachian State dismisses Shawn Clark as head coach.
Dec. 1: UNC names Freddie Kitchens interim head coach.
Nov. 27: East Carolina promotes Blake Harrell to full-time head coach after a 4-1 finish as interim.
Nov. 25: Davidson head coach Scott Abell resigns to take the Rice job; Jon Berlin named interim head coach.
Nov. 25: UNC fires Mack Brown as head coach.
Nov. 18: Charlotte dismisses Biff Poggi as head coach; Tim Brewster named interim.
Nov. 16: Elizabeth City State names David Castillo as interim head coach.
Nov. 14: Elizabeth City State fires Marcus Hilliard as head coach.
Oct. 20: East Carolina fires Mike Houston; Blake Harrell named interim.
Assistant Coach Carousel | Coaches With Ties To North Carolina
December 12
- New UNC coach Bill Belichick announces that interim head coach Freddie Kitchens will remain on staff.
- East Tennessee State names former Charlotte and Austin Peay coach Will Healy as the next head coach of its program. He replaces Tre Lamb, who took the Tulsa job. Healy went 15-24 over four seasons with the 49ers. (FootballScoop.com reports that former App State coach Shawn Clark and former ECU coach Mike Houston were finalists).
- FootballScoop.com reports that Quint Cunningham, an assistant director of player personnel, will not return.
December 11
- Michael Lombardi, who has worked with a number of NFL front offices as well as in sports media, has been announced as the GM at North Carolina under head coach Bill Belichick.
- Tim Brewster, Charlotte’s tight ends coach who went 2-0 as interim head coach with the 49ers, is rumored to be in the mix for the East Tennessee State opening. [Update: he did not get the position].
- Chip Lindsey, who had been UNC’s offensive coordinator the past two seasons, is announced as the next OC and quarterbacks coach at Michigan.
December 10
- Former Charlotte defensive coordinator Ryan Osborne will become a defensive line coach at Oklahoma State
- Kevin Maurice, recruiting coordinator and running backs coach at North Carolina Central, announces on social media he is “on to the next chapter” and leaving his post with the Eagles. Maurice mentored running back J’Mari Taylor to a 1,000-yard, all-conference season this past fall.
December 9
- NC State names Freddie Aughtry-Lindsay as interim defensive coordinator for Military Bowl
- East Carolina reportedly intends to release strength & conditioning coach John Williams
December 8
- NC State defensive coordinator Tony Gibson officially named new head coach at Marshall
- Former Gardner-Webb coach Tre Lamb, who won conference championships in 2022 and 2023 with the Runnin’ Bulldogs, was announced as the head coach at Tulsa. Lamb coached at East Tennessee State this past season, posting a 7-5 record.
