North Carolina Offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens and special teams coordinator Mike Priefer will not return next season as the school announced the departures of both assistants after a 4-8 season in Bill Belichick's college coaching debut.
“We want to thank Coach Kitchens and Coach Priefer for their commitment and many contributions to our program and student-athletes,” Belichick said in a statement. “We wish them both nothing but the best in their future endeavors.”
North Carolina's offense was one of the worst in the country, ranking 119th in the FBS in scoring (19.3 ppg) and 129th in total offense (288.8 YPG).
The Tar Heels also had problems on special teams, especially Duke fake a field goal to set up a late winning touchdown and North Carolina State successfully running a fake punt and for the first time next week.
Kitchens served Cleveland Browns coach in 2019, has been with the Tar Heels since 2023 and served as interim coach following the Fenway Bowl loss at the end of the 2024 season. Belichick was named the new head coach earlier that month.
Priefer was a longtime NFL special teams coach who followed Belichick to Chapel Hill but only lasted one season in the job.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
