Hilltopper offensive coordinator heads to North Carolina

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – A new roster is taking form over on the Hill for head coach Tyson Helton and WKU football, but changes inside of the coaching room are still happening, with the latest being the departure of offensive coordinator Will Friend.

ESPN Insider Pete Thamel shared on Wednesday afternoon that Friend will be leaving WKU to take on the role of offensive line coach at the University of North Carolina for the Tar Heels newest head coach Bill Belichick.

Veteran offensive line coach Will Friend is expected to finalize a deal to become the offensive line coach at North Carolina. He was OC at Western Kentucky last year and has worked at Auburn, Mississippi State and Tennessee over the years. pic.twitter.com/dYVYlBt9f5

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 15, 2025

Friend joined the Hilltopper coaching staff in January of 2024, and spent just one season under Coach Helton.

Working with a veteran quarterback in TJ Finley and a first-time starter in Caden Veltkamp, Friend helped lead WKU to be the second-highest scoring offense in Conference USA, putting up 349 total points on 42 touchdowns and 18 field goals.

Prior to working in Bowling Green, Friend made coaching stops at Mississippi State, Auburn, Tennessee, Colorado State, and Georgia.

Now WKU will be looking to fill the offensive coordinator position, whether that’s from outside of the organization or a promotion from within.