Bobby Petrino to take over as North Carolina offensive coordinator under Bill Belichick, per report
By David Wasson
Published:
North Carolina’s Bill Belichick made a big move with his coaching staff Monday, reportedly hiring former Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino as the Tar Heels’ offensive coordinator.
On3Sports reported that Petrino is headed to Chapel Hill to bolster a North Carolina offense that sputtered in 2024 under former coordinator Freddie Kitchens. The Tar Heels ranked 119th nationally in scoring (19.3 points per game) and 129th in total offense (288.8 yards per outing).
Petrino has rich history turning around offenses in his star-crossed career – curating Louisville into a national power with Lamar Jackson at quarterback and also excelling at Arkansas and the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL. Petrino infamously was fired by Arkansas in 2012 after an incident involving a motorcycle wreck and a Razorbacks staffer.
Petrino coached at Western Kentucky for a season, then returned to Louisville in the same head coaching post from 2014-18. He also coached at Missouri State (2020-22), then served as an offensive coordinator at UNLV, Texas A&M and Arkansas – where he served the final 7 games of the 2025 season as interim head coach after the Razorbacks fired Bobby Petrino.
Belichick and Petrino have never coached together before, though Petrino has several ties to North Carolina’s current staff. The Tar Heels went 4-8 in Belichick’s first season in Chapel Hill, including a 2-6 mark in ACC play.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
