Bill Belichick may have been far more entertaining on ESPN than he has been effective at North Carolina. In 2024, UNC fired Mack Brown and bet the future of the program on an NFL legend with zero college head-coaching experience. So far, that gamble looks like a major misstep. The Tar Heels fell to 4-8 last season, suffered five double-digit losses, and turned one of the boldest hires in college football into a serious disappointment. The worst part? UNC had other options, which makes the entire situation look increasingly self-inflicted.

When North Carolina fired Mack Brown, Glenn Schumann’s name was already sitting in Bubba Cunningham’s inbox as a potential replacement. Cunningham may have brushed off the first list, but Schumann’s name refused to disappear.

Just five days later, another email landed with the Georgia coordinator once again being pushed as a candidate, this time by a 2015 UNC graduate writing to John Preyer.

Former UNC football manager Joseph W. Jacobs, in one of his statements back then, expressed that while Chapel Hill will always attract top talent, he had his eyes on a few individuals.

“Talent will always flock to Chapel Hill. Names such as Matt Campbell, PJ Fleck, Jon Sumrall, Glenn Schumann, and Jeff Monken come immediately to mind.” Joseph W. Jacobs said.

As coaching vacancies began filling up across college football, North Carolina sought communication records after Glenn Schumann’s name surfaced in media reports as a potential candidate for the opening following Mack Brown’s firing on Nov. 26, 2024.

According to ESPN, UNC spoke to Schumann about the job. However, despite offering a $10 million annual salary, there was little to no further development regarding his potential move to North Carolina.

Schumann was not some random coordinator on UNC’s list. By 2022, Kirby Smart was already asking him for input on Georgia staff hires, alongside veteran assistants Dell McGee and Tray Scott. Smart said those coaches helped define the program’s culture and understood the standard required at Georgia. That made Schumann more than a defensive play-caller. Schumann’s trust with Kirby Smart was years in the making.

He worked under Smart at Alabama from 2008 to 2015, starting as an undergraduate analyst before moving into graduate assistant and player personnel roles. When Smart took over at Georgia in 2016, he brought Schumann with him as inside linebackers coach, then promoted him to co-defensive coordinator in 2019.

“These guys have been part of our program … they are the culture,” Kirby Smart said that in March 2022

The results backed up the trust Georgia placed in Schumann. In his first season calling the defense, the Bulldogs finished fifth nationally in scoring defense at 14.3 points per game and led the country against the run, allowing just 77 rushing yards per game.

Even more impressive, Georgia did it after losing five first-round defenders to the 2022 NFL Draft. And Schumann has hardly hurt his case since then.

Entering 2026, Georgia placed 11 players on the preseason coaches’ All-SEC teams, tied with Texas for the most in the conference. Several came from the Bulldogs’ defense, including first-team defensive backs KJ Bolden and Ellis Robinson IV, second-teamers Elijah

Griffin and Raylen Wilson, and third-team defensive lineman Gabe Harris. Schumann stayed at Georgia, and the defensive talent around him has continued piling up recognition.

North Carolina has been in pretty bad shape since 2024, and especially after the fallout from the 2025 season, the Tar Heels are certainly looking for someone like Schumann, who has proved his worth time and again.

Given that, while Schumann might not join the team for the time being, Bill Belichick could be on the hot seat this year, according to an insider.

Bill Belichick’s North Carolina run could be nearing its end, per an insider

UNC is already dealing with chaos before kickoff. With TCU less than two weeks away, GM Michael Lombardi is on paid leave and defensive coordinator Steve Belichick is on medical leave, leaving Bill Belichick’s staff stretched thin.

After a disappointing 4-8 campaign last season, these signs are far from encouraging, especially for the head coach, who could be entering his final season to prove his worth, according to CFL insider Josh Pate.

“Now, one situation that’s a lot clearer to me is North Carolina,” Pate said. “Bill Belichick, significant disaster, actually. It’s a significant disaster. So this is soon to be pushed out, and then the North Carolina job opens up.”

“Not much to say here. It’s a move that never should have happened. It’s a joke of a coaching search and the way it was handled.”

Either Belichick turns things around and gives North Carolina a reason to believe, or the school can finally cut ties and move forward. One way or another, the disaster could soon give way to a brighter chapter.

Pete highlighted that the school had the option of hiring Jon Sumrall before the 2025 season but ultimately missed its chance.

“You very well could have had Jon Sumrall there, who could very well be entering year two with Darien Mensah as his starting quarterback, who instead is at Miami right now,” Pate said. “But you know what, if you can start the 33rd NFL team, why would you want to go with Sumrall and Mensah?”

The insider ultimately expressed that while mistakes have already been made, the college should look inward and assess where it went wrong. For now, Belichick’s job appears safe, but for how long? That remains the question.