Ex-Tar Heels QB Drake Maye reacts to Bill Belichick/UNC coach rumors originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
If anyone in New England is an expert on the University of North Carolina football program, it’s Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye.
Maye spent three seasons in Chapel Hill as a quarterback on UNC’s roster, and he was the starter in 2022 and 2023. He played fantastic for North Carolina and ultimately got selected No. 3 overall by the Patriots in the 2024 NFL Draft.
North Carolina needs a new head football coach after the school fired Mack Brown — who coached Maye — last month. And recent reports suggest Bill Belichick, who spent 24 years as New England Patriots head coach and won six Super Bowl titles during that span, could become the next coach of the Tar Heels.
Belichick confirmed Monday on ESPN’s The Pat McAfee Show that he had spoken to the school about the position. Reports on Wednesday indicate talks between the two sides are ongoing but nothing is finalized.
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What does Maye think about the possibility of Belichick leading the UNC program?
“Yeah, obviously, legendary coach, the success he had here and what a great place Chapel Hill is,” Maye said at his press conference Wednesday.
“Anytime you have a legendary NFL coach going back to college, I think it’s cool. It’s pretty interesting for me. I think it’s not official yet. I think coach Belichick would love Chapel Hill, and Chapel Hill is a great spot. Like I said, nothing official, but a cool thing for a Hall of Fame coach to go back and coach some college kids.”
Would Belichick look good in North Carolina blue?
“Yeah, I think anybody looks good in Carolina blue,” Maye said. “It’s a special color and North Carolina’s got some navy (blue) in it as well.”
North Carolina’s program could definitely use a boost, and hiring Belichick would certainly generate plenty of headlines.
The Tar Heels had a 6-6 record and finished 12th in the 16-team ACC this past season. The last time North Carolina won a postseason game was the 2019 Military Bowl, but it has a chance to end the drought on Dec. 28 in the Fenway Bowl versus UConn in Boston.
