Rats jumping off the bayou bengal ship...
Bob Diaco exiting LSU to join Belichick's Tar Heels staff
John Brice Jan 19, 2025
Unsurprisingly, Bill Belichick is taking a measured, methodical approach to assembling his inaugural North Carolina and first-ever collegiate coaching staff.
He's blending NFL and collegiate experience.
Now, he's poised to add one of college football's veteran-most defensive assistants, FootballScoop has learned.
Sources tell FootballScoop that longtime defensive coach Bob Diaco is joining Belichick's Tar Heels staff as an assistant coach on the defensive side of the ball.
Bill Belichick reportedly tabs veteran SEC assistant as new offensive line coachBill Belichick reportedly tabs veteran SEC assistant as new offensive line coach
For the past two years, Diaco has served on Brian Kelly's LSU staff; it was under Kelly a dozen years ago that Diaco earned distinction as college football's top assistant coach when he won the Broyles Award for his work coordinating Notre Dame's defense in the 2012-13 season.
Diaco has served as a defensive coordinator at Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Purdue; additionally, he had a brief, three-year stint as head coach at UConn.
Additionally, Diaco has worked collegiately at his alma mater, Iowa, as well as Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan and Virginia, among other stops; he coached professionally earlier this decade as the defensive line coach for the New Jersey Generals.
North Carolina hired Belichick late last month after it forced Mack Brown to step down from the program.
The Tar Heels are set to begin the Belichick era Aug. 30 at home against TCU. UNC has additional non-conference games against Charlotte, FCS program Richmond and UCF before transitioning into ACC play.