
Bill Belichick's hire at UNC came as a massive surprise and the football world could barely believe its eyes when the news broke in December. It turns out the Tar Heels had their eyes on another NFL coach to succeed Mack Brown before Belichick came into play.
In a lengthy exposé detailing how the talks to hire Belichick unfolded, ESPN reported UNC AD Bubba Cunningham had Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith in mind to take over the football program before Brown's departure became official.