UNC's Belichick Hires Petrino as OC After 4-8 Season

Bill Belichick, head coach of the University of North Carolina Tar Heels, has hired veteran coach Bobby Petrino as the team's new offensive coordinator, according to multiple reports. The move, announced on Monday, comes after a disappointing first season for Belichick at the college level and aims to revitalize an offense that ranked among the nation's weakest.

Petrino, 64, replaces Freddie Kitchens, who was dismissed following North Carolina's 4-8 record in 2025. The Tar Heels failed to qualify for a bowl game and struggled offensively, averaging just 19.3 points per game, which placed them 121st nationally, and 288.8 yards per game, ranking 131st out of 136 Football Bowl Subdivision teams. Sophomore quarterback Gio Lopez led the unit, but the poor performance prompted staff changes as Belichick enters his second year in Chapel Hill.

Petrino brings more than four decades of coaching experience across college football and the NFL. He previously served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Arkansas in 2024 and 2025, where he helped transform the Razorbacks' attack. Under his guidance, Arkansas improved from 116th in yards per play in 2023 to 10th in 2025, finishing...