UNC football officially announces Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator
North Carolina has officially named Bobby Petrino its offensive coordinator, head coach Bill Belichick announced Friday afternoon.
This comes roughly two weeks after multiple reports in late December stated North Carolina was moving toward hiring the veteran coach. Along with an ongoing overhaul of the quarterback corps, Petrino’s hiring is part of Bill Belichick’s attempt to revitalize a North Carolina offense that ranked among the bottom of the FBS in multiple categories throughout the Tar Heels’ disappointing 4-8 campaign in 2025.
“I’m extremely excited to join Coach Belichick and the Carolina football program,” Petrino said in a university-released statement. “This is an incredible opportunity to work with one of the best at a storied institution. I cannot wait to get started in Chapel Hill alongside this coaching staff and student-athletes.”
Petrino replaces former offensive coordinator and interim head coach Freddie Kitchens, who was dismissed in December. With Kitchens leading the offense and calling plays in 2025, the Tar Heels averaged 19.3 points and 288.8 yards per game, ranking 121st and 131st nationally.
Kitchens was one of the few assistants retained from Mack Brown’s staff, but offensive struggles and inconsistency led to sweeping changes following the season.
“We are fortunate to add an elite coaching talent in Bobby to our staff,” Belichick said in a university-released statement. “He brings an extensive background and a proven record of success on offense at every level of football. Bobby has consistently built great offenses everywhere he has been, and we look forward to having him work with our program.”
Petrino, 64, arrives with a long resume — as well as plenty of baggage.
Most recently, he served as offensive coordinator and interim head coach at Arkansas. The Razorbacks lost their last 10 games in 2025 to finish 2-10, but ranked top 25 nationally in scoring, rushing and total offense. Arkansas made a huge jump in offensive production after Petrino’s return (he previously served as head coach of the Razorbacks from 2008 to 2011), improving from outside the top 100 to the top 10 in yards per game in the course of two seasons.
Throughout his career, Petrino has been known for quarterback development, an explosive passing attack and an uptempo spread system. Just this week, North Carolina added two quarterbacks from the portal: Texas A&M transfer Miles O’Neill (who was originally recruited to College Station by Petrino) and Wisconsin transfer Billy Edwards Jr.
Petrino previously served as head coach at Louisville (2003-2006 and 2014-2018), Western Kentucky (2013) and Missouri State (2020-2022). He also spent one season (2007) in the NFL as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. During his second stint at Louisville, he coached Heisman Trophy winner and current Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Petrino’s career has also included well-documented controversy. He was fired in April 2012 during his first stint as head coach at Arkansas shortly after being involved in a motorcycle accident with Jessica Dorrell, a former Razorbacks volleyball player he had hired. An internal review found Petrino — married and a father of four — was in a romantic relationship with Dorrell and had misled university officials about the relationship, his conflict of interest in hiring her and her presence at the crash.
Petrino’s brief tenure with the Atlanta Falcons in 2007 also ended abruptly and controversially. After a 3-10 start on the year, Petrino left Atlanta to return to the college ranks at Arkansas without meeting with the Falcons players.
Falcons owner Arthur Blank said in a news conference at the time that the team felt “betrayed and let down.”
Despite these controversies, North Carolina hopes Petrino’s experience will be able to reverse its recent trajectory. The Tar Heels scored 15 points or fewer in half of their games last season and failed to score more than 27 points against an FBS opponent.
With the transfer portal window open through Jan. 16 and spring practice approaching, Petrino’s arrival gives North Carolina a proven offensive architect as it attempts to rebound quickly and regain competitiveness in the ACC — maybe even nationally.