As the dust has settled with North Carolina’s marquee hire of Bill Belichick, the hall of fame coach and general manager Michael Lombardi have been particular when filling out the remainder of the staff. Amid NFL job openings and some contract confusion, the media has continued to question the legitimacy of Belichick’s commitment to the Tar Heels.
The consistent response from various outlets has refuted any possibility of Belichick having plans to leave (at least right now). That said, the excessive patience in hiring more of the staff certainly doesn’t help his case. No report has offered much substance other than inviting clicks, but it would be comforting for some of these wrinkles to be ironed out as we head towards February.
A good start, and a possibly timely response from North Carolina, was to secure four new coaches over the last handful of days—which is exactly what UNC did. Let’s take a look at the newest additions to the Tar Heel staff.
Armond Hawkins, a former defensive analyst with Steve Belichick at the University of Washington, was hired as a defensive backs coach for North Carolina. The 31-year-old has served stints at Arizona, USC, and Colorado. He played defensive back at Idaho in 2014-2017. It was first reported on Tuesday afternoon.
Shortly after, the Tar Heels hired Mike Priefer to takeover special teams duties. A longtime NFL coach got his first professional gig in 2002 with Jacksonville, but since has spent time with the Giants, Chiefs, Broncos, Vikings, and Browns. North Carolina will welcome a long time veteran, and one that’s done the same job at the highest level.
The next addition is wide receiver coach Garrick McGee. After last season with the Louisville Cardinals, serving in the same role, the 51-year-old will come across the conference to the Tar Heels. McGee has coached college since 2002, spanning between an analyst, quarterback coach, wide receiver coach, offensive coordinator, and head coach.
Lastly, Belichick and Lombardi are bringing Will Friend, offensive line coach, to Chapel Hill. Another veteran staffer who has endured a handful of different stops, most recently as the offensive coordinator for Western Kentucky. Prior to his work with the Hilltoppers, Friend has spent a lot of time in the SEC, serving as the offensive line coach at Tennessee, Mississippi State, and Auburn.
There are still pieces of the puzzle to fill, but Belichick certainly doesn’t seem like a coach on his way out. We will continue to follow staff changes and additions as they develop.
