North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick looks to the clock in the fourth quarter game against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome.

North Carolina football coach Bill Belichick said Friday night he "will not pursue any NFL head coaching vacancies."

The first-year college coach has been linked to the New York Giants job ever since they fired Brian Daboll on Nov. 11. Belichick has been asked about the opening, given he is a former assistant with the organization, but he brushed it off.

On Friday, Nov. 14, he put out a statement:

"I have great respect and genuinely care for the New York Giants organization and both the Mara and Tisch families," Belichick said. "It was a privilege for me to work for the Mara family and be a member of Coach Parcells' staff for over a decade. However, despite circulating rumors, I have not and will not pursue any NFL head coaching vacancies.

"Since arriving in Chapel Hill, my commitment to the UNC Football program has not wavered."

There have been questions about Belichick's desire to return to the NFL. The Giants job is one that made sense.

He spent 12 seasons with New York under Bill Parcells, winning two Super Bowl titles during that time. Belichick got his first head coaching job with the Cleveland Browns following his run as Giants defensive coordinator.

The Belichick era at North Carolina started off with tremendous hype but it quickly faded after the Tar Heels got blown out in the season opener against TCU. North Carolina had one of its worst starts in program history with a 2-5 record, but it has recovered with two straight wins over Syracuse and Stanford since then.

At 4-5, North Carolina plays Wake Forest on Saturday, Nov. 15 as it tries to reach bowl eligibility.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bill Belichick says he will not pursue Giants job, other NFL head coaching vacancies

Reporting by Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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