Report: 'Hard Knocks' to feature UNC, Bill Belichick after NFL teams decline

Bill Belichick's North Carolina program will be the featured team on HBO's upcoming offseason version of "Hard Knocks," per a report Friday from Front Office Sports. UNC football general manager Michael Lombardi told ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show" on Friday that nothing is official yet. "There's a lot of conversations going on right now about that," Lombardi said. "We've had a lot of offers from people all over to come in and look at our program and kind of do the behind-the-scenes things, but I don't think anything (has) yet been official or signed." The decision to turn to Belichick, an NFL head coach for 29 seasons with the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots, came after no NFL team would agree to sign on, per the report. The New York Giants were featured last season, and it's the filmed conversations that general manager Joe Schoen had regarding the future of free-agent running back Saquon Barkley that reportedly caused teams to shy away. Barkley wound up signing with NFC East rival Philadelphia and led the Eagles to a Super Bowl LIX championship earlier this month in New Orleans. In the regular season, he gained 2,283 yards from scrimmage and scored 15 touchdowns. Barkley broke the NFL single-season rushing record, postseason included, with 2,504 yards. Terrell Davis had held the mark since 1998. Belichick, who won six Super Bowl trophies with the Patriots, never has appeared on "Hard Knocks." The Tar Heels will be the first college program featured. --Field Level Media