North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham had a shock for the person simply employed to information his soccer program.

In an ode to his new coach’s sleeveless hoodie vogue whereas in New England that spawned a nickname, Cunningham confirmed off a blazer with cut-off sleeves. It felt like Cunningham’s very public embrace of recent UNC head coach Invoice Belichick, who agreed to a 5-year, $50 million deal in a choice that shocked each the NFL and school soccer ranks. 

But a number of sources informed CBS Sports activities all through the teaching search and in its aftermath that Belichick was not Cunningham’s most well-liked goal. The UNC AD most well-liked to go youthful after he fired 73-year outdated Mack Brown following a 44-33 document in six seasons in Chapel Hill. It was Brown’s second stint main the UNC program after a profitable run 1988-97 that included six bowl appearances. 

And whereas the 72-year outdated Belichick is technically youthful, the preliminary plan was to search out somebody akin to 34-year outdated Arizona State coach Kenny Dillingham, who has orchestrated an unimaginable overhaul in two years in Tempe to information the Solar Devils to the School Soccer Playoff this season. Cunningham initially zeroed in on Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall and Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell as his prime two candidates, based on sources, and wished to speak to each after their respective groups performed in convention championship video games final week. 

In his preliminary public feedback in regards to the teaching search, Cunningham mentioned “all of the coaches we’re speaking to proper now are enjoying, and they also’re persevering with to be in championship video games or within the playoffs.” 

How’d Belichick find yourself because the man, then?

“It was a fractured search,” one supply acquainted with the search informed CBS Sports activities. “Nobody was on the identical web page. It was extraordinarily dysfunctional.”

Sources level to John Preyer, the chairman of the UNC Board of Trustees, who pushed Belichick from the beginning. Preyer publicly criticized Cunningham’s dealing with of the firing of Brown, calling it shameful, and was intent on forging his personal path with the search. These concerned within the course of describe what had been primarily two separate searches: Cunningham’s conventional search course of, and Preyer and different trustees’ pursuit of Belichick. It created confusion and concern among the many non-Belichick candidates Cunningham was concerned with interviewing.

A spokesperson for UNC athletics disagreed with the assertion there was a break up within the teaching search, issuing the next assertion to CBS Sports activities: 

“To say the method was ‘fractured’ and there have been ‘two separate searches’ is inaccurate and misrepresents what occurred. The Chancellor and Director of Athletics led the search committee and had been in fixed communication and settlement all through the method. We had a number of candidates for the job and performed a number of interviews, and we finally chosen the only option for the College of North Carolina.”

The 62-year-old Cunningham has been in his put up since 2011 and has a powerful popularity throughout the trade. He was named the 2019-20 AD of the 12 months. 

Cunningham, based on sources, believed that the Belichick pursuit would blow over, not believing the eight-time Tremendous Bowl winner would truly come to Chapel Hill. However after Inside Carolina first reported Belichick as a candidate, Preyer’s pursuit gained momentum regardless of the board chairman having no official capacity to make a rent. It shortly turned a nationwide story and the talks between Belichick and UNC trustees intensified. 

“(It) had leaked to so many individuals that they had been like, ‘F—, we’ll appear to be a bunch of idiots if we do not do that,” a second supply acquainted with the search informed CBS Sports activities. 

The Belichick pursuit signaled to many inside the trade that Cunningham wasn’t pulling the strings on the search. Campbell, who some concerned with the search initially believed could be the subsequent head coach, declined to speak to Cunningham after his season concluded in a Large 12 Championship Recreation loss to Arizona State. Iowa State introduced an eight-year extension for Campbell on Wednesday that may preserve him in Ames till 2032. 

The 42-year outdated Sumrall, one of many hottest candidates within the nation, had an interview with UNC that went effectively however he finally determined to remain at Tulane final Sunday after the college dedicated to higher NIL sources. It was a major win for the Group of 5 college to carry on to Sumrall, who additionally acquired severe curiosity from West Virginia. Sumrall was anticipated to be picky, and he was. 

With Campbell and Sumrall off the desk, Cunningham turned to youthful assistant coaches like Georgia defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann and Cleveland Browns tight ends coach Tommy Rees. Former Arizona Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks and former Cleveland Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens, who served as UNC’s interim coach after Brown’s firing, additionally interviewed for the place. 

Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban has personally advocated for Rees to get interviews at a number of jobs this teaching cycle together with UNC and West Virginia. Sources mentioned Cunningham appreciated the concept of Rees, the previous Alabama offensive coordinator, as his prime possibility if Belichick did not work out. 

That, after all, by no means occurred as Belichick finally agreed on Wednesday to change into the Tar Heels’ subsequent soccer coach. There have been many skeptical of Belichick’s true curiosity early on, believing he was merely entertaining the job as a leverage play to see if there could be NFL alternatives. Nothing modified on the NFL entrance regardless of a number of days of protection of Belichick probably making the transfer to varsity soccer. “There wasn’t an urge for food for him,” one supply mentioned.

Preyer’s pursuit of Belichick finally resonated with chancellor Lee Roberts, who arrived on campus in January. Roberts initially supported Cunningham’s search, based on sources, however when there weren’t as many apparent names left on the board that may invigorate the fanbase, he bought on board with Preyer’s splashy thought of wooing the NFL’s best coach to varsity soccer. 

There have been considerations amongst some events about whether or not UNC would totally fund income share for soccer given its 28 sports activities. In Belichick’s time period sheet launched Thursday, UNC dedicated to $13 million in income share. There have been experiences of a $20 million NIL dedication, though it has been unclear on whether or not that features that income share quantity. Jim Cavale, a NIL skilled and co-founder of faculty gamers affiliation Athletes.org, believes it does. 

“The rationale he’ll have a $20 million NIL finances is as a result of they’re telling him they’re going to totally fund the Home settlement,” Cavale informed CBS Sports activities. “He is bringing (Michael) Lombardi there as a result of Lombardi was a GM and good sports activities government and he’ll are available in and handle that $20 million.”

What is evident is that UNC made a serious monetary dedication to Belichick ($10 million yearly with the primary three years of a 5-year deal totally assured) and an assistant coach and off-field workers wage pool that totals $15.3 million, a major improve over the $5 million it paid Brown for the 2024 season. It’s UNC’s massive swing to be nationally related in soccer in a approach it had by no means been earlier than and certain wouldn’t have been as financially dedicated if the search resulted in somebody apart from Belichick. 

The wedding of Belichick and Lombardi is poised to carry an NFL mannequin to an more and more skilled model of faculty soccer with NIL, switch portal and different modifications. Though UNC’s AD did not initially envision a 72-year outdated NFL legend to switch a 73-year outdated school one, Belichick’s arrival in Chapel Hill could possibly be an sudden answer for a program that has underachieved for many years. 

“I believe there’s quite a lot of satisfaction on this program,” Belichick mentioned, “and I need to do every thing I can right here to assist take it to the very best stage.”

CBS Sports activities’ Richard Johnson and Matt Zenitz contributed to this report