Who needs the GOAT NFL coach when you can settle for the man who thought Tyler Allgeier should be stealing carries left and right from Bijan Robinson.
North Carolina actually preferred failed NFL head coach Arthur Smith, a Tar Heels alum, over Bill Belichick as its next head coach, according to ESPN.
Once Smith, the Steelers’ offensive coordinator, opted to stay in the NFL, it cleared the path for Belichick to take the reins in Chapel Hill.
“Smith was intrigued, and he was seen as a consensus candidate at UNC, with support from (UNC Chancellor Lee) Roberts and board members,” ESPN reported.
“‘They were all hopeful they could lure Smith back to Chapel Hill, and then whether it was Belichick or anybody else, it would have been a moot point. Smith is who they wanted,’ one source said.”
Smith’s legacy cannot compare to that of Belichick’s, but it appears North Carolina decision makers liked the idea of trusting the program to one of their own.
The 42-year-old played for North Carolina from 2001-05 and then became a graduate assistant in 2006.
Smith eventually moved his way through the NFL ranks, parlaying his success as the Titans’ offensive coordinator into a three-year run guiding the Falcons from 2021-23.
He posted three 7-10 seasons and infuriated every single fantasy football player in America by seemingly preferring to use unknown backups over his established stars.
Tar Heels athletic director Bubba Cunningham first reached out to Smith in early November to see if he would be interested in the job, which had yet to open.
Smith reportedly was “intrigued” by the opening, while Belichick’s camp made a push Nov. 12 when now-general manager Mike Lombardi asked Cunningham about his interest in Belichick.
Cunningham told Lombardi the school had yet to make a decision regarding Mack Brown’s fate, per ESPN.
Smith downplayed his interest in the opening in November after Brown’s dismissal.
“Reality is (UNC) reached out on preliminary call,” Smith said, per ESPN. “I appreciate it, love that place. But that’s not my focus. I mean I’ve got one of the best jobs in football right now. There’s a lot to be said too about (how you) can’t put a price on personal and professional happiness, which I have here.”
Smith’s “no” reportedly “seemed to energize” board members about landing Belichick.
“After that,” a source told ESPN, “is when [the hiring process] all started to fray.”
Belichick signed a five-year, $50 million deal that includes a minimal buyout should he have wandering eyes for the NFL, and he is now preparing for his first game as head coach on Sept. 1 against TCU.
Along the way, he and 23-year-old girlfriend Jordon Hudson have made plenty of public appearances together.