Now that Bill Belichick has a new job, a general manager and a cut-off North Carolina sweatshirt—he's on to filling out his coaching staff.
At his Thursday press conference in Chapel Hill introducing him as the Tar Heels' next head coach, Belichick named UNC interim head coach Freddie Kitchens as his first staff hire.
"I talked to the players a little earlier and that was a great opportunity to get to know them..." the 72-year-old said in his opening monologue. "I've met with Coach Kitchens, who will be the first member of the staff that we hire. I have a ton of respect for him."
It was noted by Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer that Belichick and Kitchens have a "long-standing relationship," which adds some context to the hire.
North Carolina coach Bill Belichick announces that Tar Heels interim coach Freddie Kitchens is his first staff hire. Kitchens and Belichick have a long-standing relationship, and Kitchens has a ton of NFL and college experience, so retaining him makes a ton of sense.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) December 12, 2024
Kitchens was named the Tar Heels' interim head coach on December 1 after the fired Mack Brown. The 50-year-old spent 16 years coaching in the NFL from 2006 to '21—most notably as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns (2019)—before returning to the college ranks in '22. He was named North Carolina's tight ends coach and run game coordinator in 2023.
Kitchens has also coached collegiately at Glenville State, LSU, North Texas, Mississippi State and South Carolina.
As for the rest of his coaching staff, Belichick explained on Thursday that they will, "hire the best coaches [they] can hire." He continued: "I'm going to do everything I can to help this program and make it as strong as possible. We'll hire the best ones we can get."
Belichick was also asked about his son, Steve, joining the staff and while not calling him by name—seemingly alluded to him in his answer:
"There are several college coaches that are involved in bowl games and so forth, so I wouldn't interfere with the process with those schools—with the commitments to their teams, so we'll see how it goes."
Steve is the current defensive coordinator at the University of Washington. The Huskies are set to play in the Sun Bowl on December 31.
"I've already had a lot of people contact me," Belichick concluded on his staff. "And there will certainly be a strong presence of NFL people on the staff. I think that's a certainty."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Bill Belichick Names Former NFL Head Coach As First North Carolina Coaching Staff Hire.
