The Bill Belichick-Nick Saban friendship is well known. HBO decided to build a documentary around it. Saban even had to deny that he would take a job at UNC under his old mentor .
So, while it seems far-fetched and highly unlikely, CBSSports.com's Tom Fornelli might be on to something when he lists UNC as a potential destination for Saban should he return to coaching.
Only I have the courage and foresight to both ask and answer which schools Nick Saban should coach next year.
— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) July 14, 2025
Let's speculate recklessly.https://t.co/lrYmQsyR7j pic.twitter.com/aPBtVvPOg4
At this time last year, no one could have predicted that the most successful coach in NFL history would end up in Chapel Hill, so it's hard to mock Fornelli for predicting that the most successful coach in college football over the past 25 years could end up at UNC.
When it comes to UNC football coaches, age is just a number
Naturally, Fornelli mentions Saban's age (73) as a potential detriment, but he correctly points out that Belichcik is also 73. And previous hire Mack Brown was 68 when he decided upon a second stint in Chapel Hill.
Where other programs like to find the next young thing, the administration at UNC has clearly valued experience and a history of winning over youthful energy.
Both Belichick and Saban have a similar process. They preach the same values on the football field and have done it to great success. Obviously, there are differences between the college game and the pro game, but there are also many similarities and the process that Belichick is installing at UNC is one that Saban can embrace and expand upon.
Many predict the Belichick-UNC union will be a short one
When Belichick took the UNC job it was going to draw a lot of attention and it has. His relationship with 24-year-old girlfriendJordon Hudson has added another element to that
It's almost a daily occurrence that a new story breaks about Belichick possibly being one-and-done at UNC, despite his denials. Even Fornelli acknowledges that the six-time Super Bowl winner would likely rather end his career on the sidelines in the NFL.
With all the surrounding noise (Saban would call it 'rat poison') around Belichick's time in Chapel Hill, it would be easy to understand if he took the cheap buyout after the season to make himself available to the NFL again.
Bill Belichick's buyout at UNC has dropped to $1M, sparking fresh rumors about his future and swirling off-field drama ahead of his first college game. https://t.co/M2Z53Kd689 pic.twitter.com/s6cL1j7shs
— Haylie Strickland (@Hay_Strikeland) June 2, 2025
And that would leave the perfect opening for Saban to jump in.
Will it happen? Probably not. But it's something that will be worth monitoring over the next six months.