Former Arkansas head coach, offensive coordinator, and interim head coach (in 2025) Bobby Petrino has found a new home and it’s alongside one of the greatest coaching minds in football history.
After not being retained by the Arkansas coaching staff following the hiring of new head coach Ryan Silverfield, Petrino entered the offseason as a free agent, open to new opportunities in the coaching world. It didn’t take long for one to emerge. According to reports from On3 on Monday, Petrino is headed to UNC to become the offensive coordinator for eight-time Super Bowl champion, 6 as a HC and 2 as a DC, Bill Belichick and the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Fresh off leading the Arkansas Razorbacks as interim head coach for the final seven games of the 2025 season following the late-September dismissal of Sam Pittman, Petrino now takes on a new challenge in Chapel Hill.
A Much-Needed Offensive Reset in Chapel Hill
Petrino inherits one of the worst offenses in college football from the 2025 season. North Carolina, previously led by offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens, averaged just 19.3 points per game, ranking 119th out of 136 FBS teams, and finished 129th nationally in total offense. The lack of production played a major role in the Tar Heels’ four-win campaign.
That level of output stands in stark contrast to what Petrino’s offense produced at Arkansas. Despite the Razorbacks’ issues with ball security, finishing the season with a -11 turnover margin, Petrino’s unit remained electric. Arkansas averaged 454.8 yards per game, ranking inside the top 20 nationally, and scored 32.9 points per game.
UNC would have taken that offensive production any day of the week, and with even modest improvement, the Tar Heels likely would have won more than four games in 2025.
Now, Petrino pairs his aggressive, high-octane offensive philosophy with Belichick’s legendary defensive prowess. Belichick, widely regarded as one of the greatest coaches in NFL history, brings a championship pedigree to the college ranks, while Petrino supplies the offensive creativity and experience needed to jumpstart a struggling unit.
If the two coaching minds can successfully mesh, the result could be a dramatic turnaround. With Belichick setting the standard on defense and Petrino unlocking North Carolina’s offensive potential, the Tar Heels’ outlook entering the 2026 season suddenly looks much brighter.