top of page

Chapel Hill Gets the Bill: Belichick Joins UNC

Jani Burden

Photo by The Providence Journal/Bob Breidenbach
Photo by The Providence Journal/Bob Breidenbach

Bill Belichick is known as one of the most successful NFL coaches of all time. Not only did he help to produce football legend Tom Brady, but he was also a 3 time AP NFL Coach of the Year. He and Brady won 6 Super Bowls together that spanned from 2002 to 2019; it was a long period of dominance in the NFL that is nearly untouchable. He also received 2 Super Bowls as a defensive coordinator for the Giants which truly shows his ability to bring success in varied positions.  


Belichick now has hopes to add another title to his list of accomplishments: a college football national championship.


On Dec. 11, North Carolina announced the exciting news for Tar Heels fans that this NFL legend would be joining their team on the sidelines next season. Belichick seemed just as thrilled to be leading this squad saying it is “a dream come true.” He also made sure to mention that he plans on sticking around for awhile at UNC and, after ending their season with a loss to UCONN, this may rekindle the UNC fans flame. 


Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

UNC’s Not So Successful Season

Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images
Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images

UNC’s 2024-25 season was no cake walk. While there were some positives to come out of the season, it was pretty far from a National Championship. There are some key players returning that could help make Belichick's reconstruction of the team a bit easier. Returning running back Omarion Hampton was the cornerstone of the UNC offense this season. He was able to run the ball and get the offense some yards when the quarterbacks may not have been performing well. Speaking of quarterbacks, the Tar Heels just acquired Max Johnson, who is a transfer from Texas A&M, and is hoping that his third school is where he’ll find his perfect fit. The Tar Heels and Belichick have another option for QB, Conner Harrell, who got to start in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl this year. It’ll be a fight, but there's no question that both athletes will do everything they can for that starting spot. They’ve seen what Belichick did for Brady, and want to be his next prodigy. 


Belli-checking Into College Football

While Belichick’s success in the NFL cannot be denied, college football is a whole new beast. With atmospheres like no other, rivalries that go back generations and drunk college kids throwing beer cans onto the field, there has been some questioning on whether or not Belichick can handle this mission. The 72 year old coach is used to the longer NFL season that is very intense and demanding; however, this season is followed by a more relaxed summer especially for coaches. This is not the case for college football. During the summer it is more time-intensive and coaches don’t really get a break. Belichick doesn't seem too concerned with the workload but is hesitant to make any predictions for the season saying, “I believe we’re going to run a good program and have a good team. We’ll see where that all goes…I’m not making any predictions. I’m just saying I’m coming in to do the best I can.”


No matter what happens at UNC this season, bringing in Belichick will put the team in the limelight and could lead to some big opportunities for these UNC athletes. 


Edited by Taylor N. Hall

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page