Overview
- North Carolina announced Friday that offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens and special teams coordinator Mike Priefer have been dismissed, with Bill Belichick issuing a thank-you statement.
- UNC ranked 129th nationally in total offense at 288.8 yards per game and 119th in scoring at 19.2 points per game, finishing 2-6 in ACC play.
- Special teams struggles included poor return metrics and successful fake-kick conversions by Duke and NC State that influenced late-game outcomes.
- Kitchens was a holdover from Mack Brown’s staff whom Belichick promoted to OC, and both he and Priefer bring extensive NFL backgrounds, including Kitchens’ 2019 tenure as Browns head coach.
- WRAL reports both coaches will be paid out at their 2025 salary levels for the remainder of their contracts with offset and mitigation provisions, and UNC has begun a search for replacements as additional staff changes are expected per multiple reports.