Bill Belichick Reportedly Targeting Familiar Face for North Carolina Job

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By J.C. Shelton | Last updated Jan 6, 2025 6:00 PM ET

As Bill Belichick finalizes his initial staff at North Carolina, the first-year head coach is reportedly expected to add a familiar face dating back to his time with the New England Patriots.

Belichick spent 24 seasons in New England, etching his name into NFL lore with nine Super Bowl appearances and six Super Bowl wins. His 333 career head coaching wins are the second most in NFL history.

The 72-year old has already brought in a couple of former Patriots staffers, including his son, Steve Belichick, to serve as defensive coordinator and Michael Lombardi to oversee the roster as general manager.

And according to 247Sports, Belichick is expected to hire former Patriots strength and conditioning coach Moses Cabrera, who spent 12 years working under Belichick in New England.

Cabrera, 46, got his start as Fresno State's assistant strength coach from 2004-09. He spent the next season in the same role for Colorado before joining the Patriots in 2011. Cabrera was promoted to head strength and conditioning coach for Belichick's Patriots in 2016 and continued in the role until the coaching transition in 2023.

It's clear that Belichick is using his NFL connections to build his staff in Chapel Hill as he is also retaining UNC interim coach Freddie Kitchens to serve as offensive coordinator. Kitchens, 50, spent 15 years in the NFL before coming back to the collegiate ranks in 2022.

Only time will tell if Belichick's staff can get the North Carolina program back on track after a 6-7 season under College Football Hall of Fame coach Mack Brown. The program hasn't won more than nine games in a season since 2015, with the last ACC championship coming in 1989.

Belichick and the new-look Tar Heels will open the season at home on Aug. 30 against TCU.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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