Bill Belichick's departure from the NFL to coach at the University of North Carolina is a big move. "We are embarking on an entirely new football operation," UNC Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham said at a press conference Thursday. His father was an assistant football coach for the Tar Heels in the '50s. "Their free agency is freer than in professional sports right now," he said, referring to college players. He said that some college football programs seeking to ascend to the top or remain there are likely to do so by demonstrating big funding commitments or making high-profile hires.

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Persons: Bill Belichick's, Bubba Cunningham, Belichick, —, Scott Fuess, Fuess, Adrian Wojnarowski, Michael Lombardi —, Ollie Connolly, Patrick Rishe, Louis, Andy Reid, Rishe, there's, Mung Chiang, Barry Odom Organizations: NFL, University of North, NCAA, University of North Carolina, Heels, UNC Athletic, UNC, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, —, ESPN, St . Bonaventure University —, Sports Business, Washington University, Ohio State, Chiefs, Fuess's University of Nebraska, Division, Purdue University, Boilermakers Locations: University of North Carolina, St, Ohio, Kansas