Changes are underway in Chapel Hill.

Head coach Bill Belichick and North Carolina are “working toward” hiring former Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino as the Tar Heels’ new offensive coordinator, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Belichick is reshaping his staff after a disastrous first season at North Carolina, which saw him fire Freddie Kitchens off the end of the 4-8 campaign.

A hire is not imminent and other candidates “remain engaged,” per Thamel.

Petrino, 64, a longtime college and NFL coach, was fired as the Razorbacks’ head coach in 2012 when he was involved in a motorcycle accident with a 25-year-old female athletic department employee, Jessica Dorrell, on the back of the bike with him.

It was later revealed that Petrino was having an extramarital affair with Dorrell.

He has bounced around the college ranks since then, with short-lived stints as head coach at Western Kentucky, Louisville and Missouri State.

Petrino also took over as Razorbacks offensive coordinator in 2024, and in 2025 he was named interim coach after Arkansas fired Sam Pittman midseason.

The Razorbacks finished the season with a 2-10 record, including 0-7 with Petrino as the interim coach.

North Carolina’s offense will need some serious help next season, as sophomore quarterback Gio Lopez led the Tar Heels to just 19.3 points per game, 121st in the nation, in Belichick’s debut with the program.

It is possible that Lopez is not retained as a starter, as Belichick has been on the recruiting trail, bringing in 4-star freshman Travis Burgess to compete for the starting job.

Players can begin transferring to other schools Jan. 2 and it remains to be seen how much cachet Belichick still holds to land big talent at the college level.

Top high school receiver Keeyun Chapman signed with North Carolina this summer and could be a contributor next season if Belichick strikes out in the transfer portal.