North Carolina HC Bill Belichick fires two high-profile assistants

Two of Bill Belichick’s top assistant coaches at North Carolina are being shown the door.

The Tar Heels are firing offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens and special teams coach Mike Priefer, according to Pete Thamel of ESPN. Kitchens had been a holdover under previous coach Mack Brown, while Priefer was one of Belichick’s own hires.

Both Kitchens and Priefer have extensive NFL ties and were viewed as prime examples of Belichick’s ambition to build an NFL-style program at the college level. Kitchens served as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, while Priefer brought nearly two decades of experience as an NFL special teams coordinator with him.

The fact that North Carolina is making changes to its offensive staff is not a surprise. The Tar Heels scored fewer than 20 points in seven of their 12 games, and their lone game with 30 points or more was a 41-6 win over Richmond in September.

Despite North Carolina’s 4-8 season, the school is clearly committed to Belichick. His strategy with his replacement hires will be interesting, but it would not be a shock if he doubled down on his eagerness to bring in some NFL experience.