Tag: north carolina

OC Bobby Petrino officially hired at North Carolina

Posted on | by Field Level Media

North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick made the hiring of veteran coach Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator official on Friday.

News began to spread before Christmas that Petrino was headed for Chapel Hill, where he will be charged with revamping an offense that averaged only 19.3 points and 288.8 yards of total offense per game. Their scoring average was 16th in the 17-team Atlantic Coast Conference, and the Tar Heels finished last in total offense.

Belichick fired offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens after North Carolina finished 4-8 (2-6) in 2025.

“I’m extremely excited to join Coach Belichick and the Carolina football program,” Petrino, 64, said Friday in a school news release. “This is an incredible opportunity to work with one of the best at a storied institution. I cannot wait to get started in Chapel Hill alongside this coaching staff and student-athletes.”

Belichick cited Petrino’s “proven record” in announcing the addition.

“We are fortunate to add an elite coaching talent in Bobby to our staff,” Belichick said. “He brings an extensive background and a proven record of success on offense at every level of football. Bobby has consistently built great offenses everywhere he has been, and we look forward to having him work with our program.”

Petrino held numerous college and NFL roles before serving as the Louisville head coach in 2003-06.

After resigning from the Atlanta Falcons 13 games into his lone season coaching them in 2007, Petrino served as the head coach at Arkansas (2008-11), Western Kentucky (2013), Louisville again (2014-18) and Missouri State (2020-22). He had an unceremonious departure from Arkansas after a motorcycle accident and an inappropriate relationship with an assistant.

That did not stop Arkansas from bringing him back as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach ahead of the 2024 season. When the Razorbacks fired head coach Sam Pittman on Sept. 28, 2025, Petrino became the interim coach and was considered a candidate for the full-time job.

Petrino has an overall record of 119-63 as a head coach.

Arkansas instead hired away Ryan Silverfield from Memphis and did not retain Petrino, who lost all seven games he coached.

Still, the problem at Arkansas was not its offense. The Razorbacks were 15th in the nation in total offense (454.8 yards) and 23rd in scoring offense (32.9 points).

–Field Level Media

Ex-North Carolina QB Gio Lopez transfers to Wake Forest

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North Carolina quarterback Gio Lopez will continue his career 75 miles to the west after signing with Wake Forest on Wednesday.

The Demon Deacons needed a new signal caller with Robby Ashford out of eligibility.

Lopez passed for 1,747 yards and 10 touchdowns against five interceptions in 2025 for the Bill Belichick-coached Tar Heels. He added three rushing scores.

Interestingly, Lopez didn’t lead North Carolina on a single touchdown drive when the Atlantic Coast Conference rivals met this season. Wake Forest limited the Tar Heels to four field goals in a 28-12 victory.

Lopez completed 21 of 36 passes for 201 yards against the Demon Deacons.

Lopez played at South Alabama for two seasons prior to transferring to North Carolina. He was the Jaguars’ starter in 2024 and passed for 2,559 yards with 18 touchdowns and five interceptions, while also rushing for 463 yards and seven scores.

–Field Level Media

Reports: Bobby Petrino to become Bill Belichick’s OC at UNC

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Bobby Petrino is expected to join Bill Belichick’s staff and become the next offensive coordinator at North Carolina, several reports said Monday.

The longtime college and NFL head coach will try to help Belichick turn around a program that went 4-8 in its first season under the six-time Super Bowl champion’s watch.

The veteran coaches have yet to work together, as Petrino held numerous college and NFL roles before becoming the Louisville head coach in 2003-06.

After resigning from the Atlanta Falcons 13 games into his lone season coaching them in 2007, Petrino served as the head coach at Arkansas (2008-11), Western Kentucky (2013), Louisville again (2014-18) and Missouri State (2020-22). He had an unceremonious departure from Arkansas after a motorcycle accident and an inappropriate relationship with an assistant.

That did not stop Arkansas from bringing him back as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach ahead of the 2024 season. When the Razorbacks fired head coach Sam Pittman on Sept. 28, 2025, Petrino became the interim coach and was considered a candidate for the full-time job.

Arkansas instead hired away Ryan Silverfield from Memphis and did not retain Petrino, who lost all seven games he coached this season.

Belichick fired his offensive and special teams coordinators after the Tar Heels’ challenging season.

OC Freddie Kitchens — himself a former head coach for the Cleveland Browns — was dismissed after the Tar Heels averaged a mere 19.3 points per game, ranking 119th in FBS. North Carolina scored more than 27 in a game only once.

–Field Level Media

ACC reveals ‘26 schedule: Some play 9 league games, others 8

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The Atlantic Coast Conference revealed Tuesday that not all 17 of its football members will make the move to a nine-game conference schedule in 2026.

Instead, 12 teams will play nine games while Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech and North Carolina will have eight games in what the league called a “transition year” to its new scheduling policy.

The ACC said in a news release that the unique format for 2026 was “designed to balance competitive equity, honor existing nonconference game contracts and account for the league’s unique 17-team footprint.”

Beginning in 2027, 16 teams will play a nine-game ACC schedule and also be required to schedule one other Power 4 opponent. Because of the odd number of member institutions, one team each season will be scheduled for eight ACC games and must schedule two Power 4 opponents elsewhere.

“Today’s announcement of our 2026 football league opponents is another significant and intentional step forward for ACC Football,” commissioner Jim Phillips said in a statement. “Transitioning to a nine-game conference schedule strengthens our competitive framework, aligns us with the other Power Four conferences and provides greater consistency for our student-athletes, coaches and fans. This phased approach reflects our commitment to competitive equity, scheduling flexibility and delivering a premier football product across all 17 institutions.”

The league announced its decision to join the Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC with a nine-game conference schedule back on Sept. 22.

The ACC also said in its release that its tiebreaker policy will be updated and announced sometime before the 2026 season.

The league caught flak for 7-5 Duke winning a five-way tiebreaker among 6-2 ACC teams to qualify for the championship game against Virginia. The unranked Blue Devils upset the Cavaliers for the conference title, and come College Football Playoff selection time, two Group of Five champions — Tulane and James Madison — were ranked higher than Duke and got in the field as the No. 11 and 12 seeds.

–Field Level Media

NC State again gets better of rival North Carolina

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Will Wilson ran for four touchdowns and host North Carolina State blew out rival North Carolina 42-19 in the regular-season finale Saturday night in Raleigh, N.C.

CJ Bailey threw for two touchdowns as the Wolfpack (7-5, 4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) beat North Carolina (4-8, 2-6) for the fifth year in a row.

Bill Belichick’s first season as North Carolina’s coach ended on a three-game losing streak.

Bailey threw for 201 yards on 21-for-30 passing and rushed for a game-high 65 yards. Wilson collected 54 yards on the ground on 12 carries.

North Carolina quarterback Gio Lopez was 11 of 16 for 118 yards and a touchdown before leaving with an injury after being sacked early in the third quarter. Max Johnson, his replacement, added 54 passing yards, and Au’Tori Newkirk had 23 yards in the air with a late TD toss.

The Tar Heels were limited to 70 yards on the ground and 265 total yards to 386 (201 passing, 185 rushing) for the host squad.

The Wolfpack won its second game in a row and will await a bowl assignment. NC State was 6-1 in home games.

North Carolina couldn’t overcome 129 yards worth of penalties on 11 infractions.

North Carolina was within 28-13 after Rece Verhoff’s 29-yard field goal at the end of a 78-yard drive in the third quarter.

But NC State scored 8 seconds into the fourth quarter on Wilson’s 15-yard run. He also was in the end zone later in the quarter on a 3-yard run.

NC State went up 14-0 in the first quarter and led 28-10 at halftime, with Bailey throwing TD passes to Wesley Grimes and Justin Joly and Wilson running for a pair of touchdowns.

Bailey’s 1-yard toss to Joly came with 18 seconds left in the half to conclude a hurry-up, 11-play drive that covered 75 yards.

Lopez threw 20 yards to Jordan Shipp for North Carolina’s first-half touchdown and Verhoff kicked a 49-yard field goal. Shipp finished with a game-high 90 receiving yards on eight receptions.

–Field Level Media

Late trick play boosts Duke in comeback win over UNC

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Anderson Castle’s third 1-yard touchdown run of the day – one play after Duke’s successful trick play late in the game – helped the Blue Devils pull out a 32-25 victory against host North Carolina on Saturday in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Duke’s Darian Mensah threw for 175 yards and a touchdown on 20-for-33 passing as the Blue Devils (6-5, 5-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) became bowl eligible.

North Carolina (4-7, 2-5) won’t be going to the postseason in coach Bill Belichick’s first season at the helm. The Tar Heels finished 2-4 in home games.

Gio Lopez threw for a touchdown and ran for one for North Carolina. He was 21-for-27 passing for 204 yards.

With 2:26 left in regulation, Duke kicker Todd Pelino lined up for a potential go-ahead field goal but instead took a pitch from the holder and ran 26 yards down the left side on a fake, taking the ball to the North Carolina 1-yard line. After the Blue Devils went ahead on Castle’s score, they tacked on a two-point conversion on Sheppard’s catch.

North Carolina, which had come to life offensively in the second half, fizzled on its final possession and gave the ball back on downs at its own 14 with 1:18 left.

The fourth quarter began with North Carolina finishing a 91-yard drive on Davion Gause’s 12-yard TD run for a 25-24 lead with 13:13 remaining.

Duke reached North Carolina territory on its final two possessions, but the first of those went awry on a fourth-down sack.

All of Duke’s scoring drives included 10 or more plays.

The Tar Heels converted for a 49-yard field goal from Rece Verhoff in the final seconds of the first half. Duke led 17-10 at the break after controlling the ball for stretches and then recovering North Carolina’s attempted onside kick to begin the second half.

The Blue Devils used 11 plays to go 44 yards with Castle scoring on a 1-yard run, extending the lead to 24-10.

North Carolina responded with a 10-play march, with Lopez throwing for 20 yards to Jordan Shipp, who made eight receptions for 83 yards. With a roughing-the-passer penalty on the play, the Tar Heels opted for a two-point conversion and Shipp caught that as well.

Earlier, Duke’s second touchdown came one play after a roughing-the-kicker penalty on the Tar Heels as Pelino was missing a field goal.

–Field Level Media

Bill Belichick debuts in Duke rivalry as UNC clings to bowl hopes

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Losses left Duke and North Carolina looking for something to square their attention on the task at hand this week.

So they have each other.

The neighboring rivals meet Saturday in Chapel Hill, N.C., playing for the Victory Bell, which goes to the winner of this annual matchup.

“The great thing about sports is redemption is always a week away,” Duke coach Manny Diaz said. “… There will be no shortage of people who want to win the game on Saturday.”

The Blue Devils (5-5, 4-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) pretty much had their aspirations of reaching the ACC championship game dashed with last week’s 34-17 loss to Virginia.

“(We need) the focus and fortitude to put it behind us and focus on what is a really, really important week for the program,” Diaz said. ” … All of our attention goes forward to getting a win on the road this weekend down in Chapel Hill.”

The Tar Heels (4-6, 2-4) had a two-game winning streak snapped with a 28-12 loss at Wake Forest. The Tar Heels were held without a touchdown in a game for the first time since October 2016.

North Carolina coach Bill Belichick said he’s aware of the importance of the game regionally.

“Everybody knows each other pretty well, and (I’m) looking forward to being a participant in this event,” Belichick said.

If the Tar Heels want to participate in the postseason, they will need victories this week and next to reach 6-6 for the regular season. Up next is NC State (5-5).

North Carolina is averaging 18.7 points per game (16th out of 17 ACC teams), but has managed to stay within striking range in several games.

“They’re playing to their strength,” Diaz said. “They’re playing in low-scoring games that turn into one-score games.”

Duke is giving up 29.6 points per game, 13th in the ACC.

Duke’s offensive numbers look far superior to those for the Tar Heels. Quarterback Darian Mensah is averaging a league-best 300.7 passing yards per game, while Blue Devils running back Nate Sheppard is averaging 70 rushing yards per game.

North Carolina quarterback Gio Lopez has thrown for 158.3 yards per outing, with Demon June the team’s top rusher with 45.2 yards per game.

Prior to becoming Duke’s coach, Diaz said he made three visits to the New England Patriots when Belichick was still the coach there for what he referred to as “professional development” opportunities.

Duke, which already won games at Syracuse, Cal and Clemson, would finish off an undefeated road slate in ACC play with a win Saturday.

–Field Level Media

Carlos Hernandez delivers two quirky TDs as Wake Forest rolls past UNC

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Carlos Hernandez scored on a couple of unconventional touchdown plays as Wake Forest beat visiting North Carolina 28-12 on Saturday at Winston-Salem, N.C.

Robby Ashford threw for one touchdown and ran for another and Demond Claiborne had 98 rushing yards with a touchdown as Wake Forest (7-3, 4-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) won its second game in a row.

Rece Verhoff kicked four field goals for North Carolina (4-6, 2-4), but he also had two attempts on field goals blocked. The Tar Heels will have to win at home against Duke and at North Carolina State to reach bowl eligibility. Gio Lopez threw for 201 yards.

Ashford handed off to Claiborne and received a pitch back, then throwing to Hernandez on a 70-yard flea flicker in the third quarter. The receiver picked up a key block and headed down the home sideline to the end zone.

Wake Forest blocked its second field goal on the last play of the third quarter, keeping the score at 21-9.

North Carolina pulled within 14-6 on Verhoff’s school-record 57-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.

Wake Forest reached the North Carolina 24 on its first second-half possession, then Ashford took a sack on fourth-and-2. Verhoff’s 42-yarder made it 14-9 midway through the third quarter.

Wake Forest took a 14-3 lead when Claiborne ran 12 yards up the middle with 1:47 to play in the first half.

Wake Forest had the only points in the first quarter, with those coming on a bizarre play on the game’s opening possession. Ashford picked up yards on a run, but he fumbled as he was hit. Hernandez picked up the ball — near a big pile of players trying to recover it — and ran 51 yards for a touchdown.

North Carolina used a 12-play drive to pick up its first points on Verhoff’s 40-yard field goal with 12:54 remaining in the second quarter.

The Tar Heels were gifted a fumble at the Wake Forest 31 with 10 minutes to play in the first half. After picking up a first down, Verhoff’s field goal attempt was blocked by Nick Andersen.

–Field Level Media

State rivals North Carolina, Wake Forest wrestle for critical win

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Fresh off defeating what was then the first-place team in the Atlantic Coast Conference, there are bigger topics on the table for Wake Forest this week.

Bill Belichick and in-state rival North Carolina arrive Saturday for an anticipated meeting in Winston-Salem, N.C.

“This is a unique opportunity with two teams that are battling for kind of where they want to finish,” Wake Forest coach Jake Dickert said. “Right now in the moment, we’re competing to do bigger things. I don’t want (last) Saturday to be the pinnacle of our season.”

Wake Forest (6-3, 3-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) knocked off host Virginia 16-9, gaining bowl eligibility in the process. That was nice, but it means there’s more to accomplish.

“We’ve got a lot of time left,” Dickert said. “We’ve got a lot of opportunity left. Proud of our team, proud of where we’re at.”

North Carolina (4-5, 2-3) is trying to rise into the bowl conversation after winning back-to-back games, including last week’s 20-15 decision against visiting Stanford.

“They’re doing what good teams and well-coached teams do – they get better as they go throughout the season,” Dickert said.

For the Tar Heels, this is the first of three consecutive games against in-state opponents.

“We know the intensity is going to be high for this game, as it should be,” North Carolina coach Bill Belichick said.

Belichick did his best to steer conversation to the conference game as his name circulated for the now-vacant NFL job with the New York Giants.

North Carolina and Wake Forest have been most effective defensively. North Carolina recorded nine sacks in the Stanford game. Abou Jaoude has recorded two or more sacks in three straight games.

Dickert and many of his staff members arrived from Washington State last December. While there, they faced Washington, which had Steve Belichick on its staff. Steve Belichick is now overseeing North Carolina’s defense.

“It is an aggressive style,” Dickert said of the Tar Heels’ defense.

Dickert said both teams’ strengths are along the line of scrimmage.

“Defensively, they’re very disciplined,” Bill Belichick said. “They’re tough. They can rush the pass … Very physical, attacking team.”

North Carolina quarterback Gio Lopez had two touchdown throws last week, marking the third time this year he has made multiple TD passes.

Wake Forest running back Demond Claiborne has 24 career rushing touchdowns.

Recent games between the teams have been close even though the Tar Heels have won the past four matchups. The margin of victories has been seven points or less in the last five meetings.

Dickert has campaigned this week for Wake Forest fans to create “a program-changing environment” in the second home assignment against an in-state ACC opponent.

–Field Level Media

Bill Belichick says focus on North Carolina’s next game, not Giants opening

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North Carolina coach Bill Belichick is looking west to the next game against Wake Forest and not well north at the vacant job with the New York Giants, he said on Tuesday.

The former longtime NFL coach, with six Super Bowl championships with the New England Patriots, has a coaching history with the Giants, who fired Brian Daboll on Monday.

Belichick, 73, is in his first season as a college coach with the Tar Heels, who play Saturday against the Demon Deacons in Winston-Salem, N.C. North Carolina is 4-5, 2-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference after two consecutive victories over Syracuse and Stanford.

“Getting ready for Wake Forest, that’s all I got this week,” Belichick said at his Tuesday press conference in Chapel Hill, N.C.

While speculation has come from outside the program, Belichick was asked if players and recruits have brought up his possible return to the NFL and New York.

“I’ve been asked about it from time to time,” Belichick said. “Look, I’ve been down this road before. I’m focused on Wake Forest, that’s it. That’s my commitment to this team. This week it’s Wake Forest, next week it’s that opponent and so forth. I’m here to do the best for this team.”

Sportsbooks have Belichick with longer odds than Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, a former NFL head coach who coached Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart last season in Oxford, Miss. Kiffin, who coached the Raiders from 2007-08, also has been suggested for various prominent openings at the college level.

Belichick might have motivation to return to the NFL to add to his legacy. Only Don Shula (328-156-6) and George Halas (318-148-31) have more regular-season wins in NFL history than Belichick, who was 302-165 in 29 seasons with the Cleveland Browns (1991-95) and Patriots (2000-2023). He has the most career playoff wins (31-13 record) in collecting Super Bowl titles with the Patriots in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2016 and 2018.

He was a defensive assistant and special teams coach with the Giants in 1979-84 before taking over as defensive coordinator from 1985-90 — winning Super Bowls in the 1986 and 1990 seasons under head coach Bill Parcells. Belichick also was assistant head coach/defensive coordinator of the New York Jets from 1997-99.

–Field Level Media