University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Football

Eight-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick, architect of one of the greatest sports dynasties of all time and renowned as one of the top leaders to ever coach the game, was named the University of North Carolina’s new head football coach on December 11th, 2024. Belichick, the second-winningest coach in NFL history, agreed to a five-year deal. “This is an exciting day for Carolina football and our university,’’ said Chancellor Lee H. Roberts. “Carolina is committed to excellence and to creating an opportunity to succeed in everything we do, from the classroom to the field of competition. I know after speaking with Coach Belichick that he shares that commitment. His legacy speaks for itself, and we look forward to working together on the next chapter of Carolina football.” Said Carolina Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham: “We know that college athletics is changing, and those changes require new and innovative thinking. Bill Belichick is a football legend, and hiring him to lead our program represents a new approach that will ensure Carolina football can evolve, compete and win -- today and in the future. At Carolina, we believe in providing championship opportunities and the best experience possible for our student-athletes, and Coach Belichick shares that commitment. We are excited to welcome him to Chapel Hill.” Belichick, who holds the NFL record for most Super Bowl wins (six with the New England Patriots as head coach and two more with the New York Giants as a coord

Armond Hawkins, a former recruiting analyst and secondary coach at the University of Washington, joined the Tar Heels as cornerbacks coach in 2025. While at Washington, he worked under former Huskies and new UNC defensive coordinator Steve Belichick on a staff that helped UW climb from No. 99 nationally in total defense in 2023 to No. 26 in 2024. Hawkins' coaching career also includes stints at Arizona (2023) and Colorado (2022). He also was the director of high school relations at Southern California from 2020-22. Hawkins’ Year-by-Year History 2020-2021: USC (Director of High School Relations) 2022: Colorado (Assistant Recruiting Coordinator) 2023: Arizona (Assistant Director of Recruiting and Defensive Analyst) 2024: Washington (Defensive Analyst) 2025-Present: North Carolina (Cornerbacks Coach)

The former head coach at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., for the last three years, Miller joined the Tar Heel staff as a special teams assistant in 2025. Miller spent 10 years overall coaching at IMG. Prior to his decade in Bradenton, Miller served as a special teams coach for five months with the New England Patriots under Bill Belichick. He joins the Tar Heel staff as a special teams assistant. Miller previously worked with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, tutoring kickers, punters and long-snappers before joining the Patriots. An all-conference kicker at Delaware Valley University, he graduated as the school's career scoring leader. He also spent three seasons on Greg Schiano's staff at Rutgers University prior to his NFL stint in Tampa. He began his coaching career at Haddon Heights (N.J.) High School. Miller’s Year-by-Year Coaching History 2009-2011: Rutgers (Assistant Special Teams Coach) 2012-2013: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Assistant Special Teams Coach) 2014: New England Patriots (Assistant Special Teams Coach) 2014-2021: IMG Academy (Assistant Head Coach and Special Teams Coordinator) 2022-2024: IMG Academy (Head Coach) 2025-Present: North Carolina (Special Teams Assistant)

Bob Diaco, the winner of the Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach in 2012, joined the Carolina staff in the spring of 2025 as the Defensive Line Coach for the Tar Heels. Diaco arrives in Chapel Hill after spending the last two seasons at LSU. Diaco is a former head coach at Connecticut and reunited with LSU head coach Brian Kelly for the fourth time of his coaching career when he joined the Tiger coaching staff in the spring of 2023. Prior to arriving at LSU, Diaco coached the defensive line for the New Jersey Generals in the USFL for two seasons. A native of Cedar Grove, N.J., Diaco previously served on Kelly’s staff at Central Michigan (2005), Cincinnati (2009) and Notre Dame (2010-13). In 2005 at Central Michigan, Diaco was the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for the Chippewas who went 6-5 and had only the second winning season for the school in over a decade. After two years coaching linebackers and special teams at Virginia, Diaco rejoined Kelly in 2009 at Cincinnati, helping the Bearcats to a 12-0 mark during the regular season and an appearance in the Sugar Bowl. From 2010 to 2013, Diaco was regarded as one of the nation’s top defensive coordinators during his time at Notre Dame when he led the Irish defense under Kelly. At Notre Dame, Diaco helped lead the Irish to multiple bowl appearances, including the 2012 national championship game, while also being named the winner of the Broyles Award (nation’s top assistant coach) in 2012 and a semi

Bobby Petrino, one of the nation’s top offensive minds, has been named the offensive coordinator for the North Carolina Football program, head coach Bill Bel...

Brian Belichick joined the Tar Heel defensive staff as defensive backs/safeties coach in 2025. He came to Carolina following a nine-year stint with the New E...

Caleb Pickrell enters his fifth season at Carolina as the tight ends coach under Head Coach Bill Belichick. This marks Pickrell's fourth year in the tight en...

Corey Gaynor joined the North Carolina football staff as an offensive assistant following a standout collegiate playing career. A two-time Honorable Mention ...

An experienced offensive mind, Garrick McGee begins first season at Carolina as the Wide Receivers Coach. McGee arrives in Chapel Hill after his second stint...

Former All-Pro NFL linebacker Jamie Collins began his time at UNC as inside linebackers coach in 2025. He joined the Carolina staff after a standout playing ...

Manny Miles joined the Carolina football staff as an offensive quality control coach in March of 2023 before transitioning to a graduate assistant role prior...

A former NFL assistant coach, Matt Lombardi joined the Tar Heel football staff as quarterbacks coach in February 2025. He came to Carolina after spending the...

Michael Lombardi, a three-time Super Bowl champion as an executive with over 30 years of experience in NFL front offices, joined the North Carolina football ...

Natrone Means, a Tar Heel legend, 20-year coaching veteran and fifth-year member of the Carolina coaching staff, begins his first season as running backs coach under head coach Bill Belichick. Means joined former head coach Mack Brown's staff at North Carolina as an offensive analyst on March 22, 2021. Means came to Carolina after spending one year as the offensive coordinator, assistant head coach and running backs coach at Fayetteville State Prior to making the move to Fayetteville State, Means served as the running backs coach at Winston-Salem St. for six seasons and was promoted to associate head coach for his final season with the Rams in 2019. Means began his collegiate coaching career at Livingstone College in 2005 as running backs coach and was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2006. He honed his coaching skills while participating in the NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship Program with the Atlanta Falcons. In 2007, Means became offensive coordinator at the historical powerhouse West Charlotte High School and went on to serve as offensive coordinator at Hopewell High School. He returned to the NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship program with the Carolina Panthers during 2008 training camp, focused primarily on running backs De’Angelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. The duo had a record-breaking season as they became the first set of teammates to each rush for 1,100 yards in NFL history. From 2008-10, Means served as the Regional Scouting Director for Collegiate Sports of

Steve Belichick enters year one as the Tar Heels’ defensive coordinator during the 2025 season. Belichick arrives in Chapel Hill after spending the 2024 campaign in the same role at the University of Washington. Belichick, who played four seasons of lacrosse at Rutgers before joining the football team as a long snapper, was the Patriots' defensive play caller for the last four years (2020-23), while also coaching linebackers (2022-23) and outside linebackers (2020-21). He'd previously worked with New England's defensive backs (2019) and safeties (2016-18) after having worked four years (2012-15) as a defensive assistant. During his time on the Patriots staff, Belichick was a part of five Super Bowls, with three victories, in 2015, 2017 and 2019. In 2023, Belichick helped lead a defense that ranked third in the NFL in opponent yards per play (4.7) and sixth in total defense, allowing 301.6 yards per game. The Pats also ranked No. 3 in rushing defense and 10th in passing defense. New England's defense was also stout in the previous years with Belichick calling the plays, ranking No. 5 in opponent yards per play in 2022, and No. 10 in that same category in 2021. In 2021 and 2022, Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon reached career highs for sacks in back-to-back seasons, notching 12.5 sacks in 2021 and 15.5 in 2022, while setting a club record with 102.5 sack yards in '22. Judon earned four straight Pro Bowl selections (2019-22). Belichick also coached Josh Uche to 1.5 sacks in 202

Ty Nichols joined the North Carolina coaching staff in January 2025 and serves as the outside linebackers coach for the program. He comes to UNC following three seasons at the University of Arizona, where he was an analyst for a season and a defensive graduate assistant for two seasons. He worked primarily with the Wildcats' defensive line and linebackers. Under his guidance, Arizona defensive lineman Tre Smith ranked 15th in the Big 12 Conference in sacks with 4.5. Smith finished the 2024 season with 53 tackles, including 7.5 tackles for loss. In his second season with the Wildcats, Nichols helped the 2023 UA defense finish fifth nationally in fourth down conversion percentage defense (.300). Arizona won 10 games that season and defeated No. 12 Oklahoma, 38-24, in the Valero Alamo Bowl. Arizona’s 2023 squad led the league in red zone defense (.760), as opponents had their drive end with zero points 12 times and were held to a field goal 10 times. The Wildcats’ defense held opposing teams to 25 points or fewer in nine of their 13 games. The defense also recovered 10 fumbles to rank 16th in the nation and second in the Pac-12 Conference. Prior to coaching in Tucson, Nichols coached at Idalou High School in Texas for one season, where he was a standout for the Wildcats on both sides of the ball. Nichols spent three years on the football staff at Texas Tech from 2019-21, helping lead the Red Raiders to a 34-7 bowl game victory against Mississippi State in the Liberty Bowl. He gr

Will Friend enters his first season as Carolina’s Offensive Line Coach during the 2025 campaign. Friend arrives in Chapel Hill after serving in the same role at Western Kentucky in 2024. Prior to WKU, Friend served as the Offensive Line Coach at Mississippi State in 2023, and he's also worked in the same role at Auburn from 2021-22 and at Tennessee from 2018-20. He was the Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach at Colorado State from 2015-17 and the Offensive Line Coach at Georgia from 2011-14. While at Tennessee, Friend developed two-time All-SEC first team lineman and eventual NFL draft pick Trey Smith. In 2019, Friend's unit featured an All-SEC First Team award winner in Smith and two SEC All-Freshman honorees in Wanya Morris and Darnell Wright. Additionally, Morris was named to the 247Sports True Freshman All-America team, and Smith – who didn't allow a sack all year – garnered a pair of SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week honors. In 2017 at Colorado State, Friend led a unit that ranked 11th in the nation in total offense at 492.5 yards per game. Colorado State's 33.4 points per game in 2017 led the conference and ranked 31st in the nation. During his final season in Athens in 2014, Friend helped guide a Bulldogs' offense that averaged 41.3 points per game, which ranked eighth nationally, and racked up 457.8 yards of total offense per game. Overall, Friend has coached nine offensive linemen who have been selected in the NFL Draft. Friend is a 1998 graduate of the Univer