ExtremeRavens Posted December 12 Posted December 12 When Kyle Van Noy heard his former coach, Bill Belichick, was taking the head job at the University of North Carolina, the Ravens outside linebacker was excited. Then perplexed. “It’s kind of crazy that the NFL looks like it doesn’t want him,” said Van Noy, who won two Super Bowl titles under Belichick in New England. “I don’t know. I just think it’s crazy that his name wasn’t attached to any [openings].” Of the eight NFL teams with head coaching vacancies this past offseason, six chose not to interview the Annapolis High graduate and one was the team that fired him, the Patriots. So Belichick, the 72-year-old architect of perhaps the greatest dynasty in NFL history with six of his eight Super Bowl rings to show for it, took a job in the college ranks. Rumblings of the potential hire were first reported last week, then made official Wednesday, and Belichick was introduced in Chapel Hill on Thursday afternoon. Tar Heels athletic director Bubba Cunningham said in a statement that the changing landscape of college football requires “new and innovative thinking.” That’s why they went after the surefire Hall of Famer. As for Belichick, the son of a former Tar Heels and Navy assistant, he called it “a dream come true.” Van Noy spent five seasons in New England between 2016 and 2021. He was part of two Super Bowl titles during that time, the miraculous comeback of 2017 against the Atlanta Falcons and defensive masterclass in 2019 against the Los Angeles Rams. He knows as well as anyone Belichick’s capabilities. “He’s a very good coach, best one I’ve had for sure,” Van Noy said. “And he’s gonna do great. I’m a big Belichick fan, not just him as a person but him as a coach. He knows football. He’s gonna teach and develop kids. I’m excited to see what he does down there.” After the Tar Heels play Dec. 28 in the Fenway Bowl against the University of Connecticut, Belichick will officially take the reins. In many ways the skeletal structure of college football is starting to resemble the NFL. Think the ease of the transfer portal leading to more player empowerment; name, image and likeness (NIL) allowing student athletes to get paid; and revenue sharing on the horizon. How might Belichick’s approach translate to a younger crop of football talent in this brave new world? “I think he’s gonna coach everybody the same,” Van Noy said. “Kids that want to be treated like grown ups, like they always say and claim they want — ‘I’m a grown-ass man,’ you know those comments — he’s gonna treat you that way. Knowing that, they’re gonna get taught the right way. They’re gonna get taught the fundamentals of football.” Van Noy saw a comment on social media earlier Thursday of someone curious to see how Belichick might develop talent. Well, Van Noy pointed out, Tom Brady was once a fourth-string quarterback, wide receiver Julian Edelman switched positions and tight end Rob Gronkowski didn’t play a whole lot in college. “Taking nothing away from those guys,” Van Noy said, “they created their own value with hard work, but he did give them a platform and a process, if you do these type of things, you can be successful.” Van Noy has no reservations that Belichick can be as successful in college as he was in the NFL. He talked to a few former teammates around the league, too, who shared in his surprise in the lack of NFL interest. But that chapter appears to be over, 15 wins from passing Don Shula as the NFL’s all-time wins leader (347). And his new chapter — full of recruiting visits and NIL — begins with this unexpected pivot becoming the oldest coach in the Football Bowl Subdivision. “I don’t know how to react,” said Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, who coached Southern Miss from 2013 to 2015 before returning to the NFL. “Good for him, if that’s what he wants to do. Good for anybody that has an opportunity to be a coach again at whatever level that might be. I’m sure it’s an exciting time for him, those who go with him there and for the University of North Carolina. Good for him.” Wide receiver Devontez Walker is most excited by the name recognition Belichick brings to the school the Ravens drafted him out of — not dissimilar from what Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders has done at Jackson State and Colorado. There are bound to be top talents considering flipping commitments for a chance to play under Belichick. Walker, a Charlotte native who spent one year playing for the Tar Heels under Mack Brown, talked to a UNC nutritionist this week who seemed thrilled about Belichick’s arrival. “Everybody’s in good spirits that I’ve talked to,” Walker said. The move will reverberate through every level of football. But Belichick told reporters on Thursday, “I didn’t come here to leave,” verbally closing the door on an NFL return, whether teams wanted him or not. “That’s just my opinion from the outside looking in,” Van Noy said. “I could be way off but from an outsider looking in, it seems like none of these teams — I feel like they should be banging at his door from what he’s been able to do in his career. It looks like not and it looks like he got everything he wanted at North Carolina.” Van Noy’s never been to Chapel Hill. “Maybe he can get me tickets to a Duke-North Carolina basketball game,” he laughed. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. 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