Exclusive: Inside Scoop on Why North Carolina Staff Desperately Wants to Undo Belichick's Exit

Ever wonder what it takes to bring an NFL legend like Bill Belichick into the wild world of college football? Well, North Carolina has found out firsthand. From a coach known for his legendary—sometimes even polarizing—leadership in the Patriots, to now navigating the recruiting and campus politics at UNC, let’s dive into how the man, the myth, the hoodie, is handling his new stomping grounds. His strategies seem to be stirring the pot—particularly with the staff who might find his approach, well, ahem uniquely challenging. So, is Chapel Hill ready for a taste of that famous Belichick Kool-Aid or are they missing Coach Mack Brown’s more… genteel touch? Here’s a glimpse into the relationship dynamics and recruitment efforts that are setting the stage for an unpredictable season ahead. LEARN MORE.

In December, North Carolina hired former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick as its football coach. 

The school identified him as a top target and swiftly hired him after parting ways with Mack Brown. Belichick took the entire 2024 season off and did a lot of media after the Patriots parted ways with him after the 2023 NFL season ended. 

While fans eagerly await his college coaching debut, according to Tom Curran, UNC isn’t loving the Belichick experience in Chapel Hill.

“It’s very pro-oriented. (Michael) Lombardi said we’re gonna try to be the 33rd NFL team, so to me, he is running it that way. When you look at the recruits, they have done pretty well so far. They’re 11th or 12th, according to (Stewart) Mandel nationally in terms of attracting recruits. But, they’ve got way more guys under agreement, and a lot of teams are still filling out their rosters, so that might go down,” Curran said on WEEI in Boston. “From rumblings I heard, this is not recent, this is a month or two ago, they’re not loving the Bill Belichick experience if you’re an everyday employee down there, which is probably what a lot of the people here in 2000 felt when Bill came aboard (the Patriots) and said, ‘I don’t know if I like this.'”

"They're not loving the Bill Belichick experience if you're an everyday employee down there"@tomecurran explains how things have been going down at UNC since Bill Belichick has taken over as the head football coach pic.twitter.com/hsCkbxWBwv

— WEEI Afternoons (@WEEIAfternoons) April 17, 2025

It’s only one report, but it does raise some questions about how long Belichick will stay at UNC since his buyout drops to $1 million after June 1. He entered the college game during a time when the transfer portal and NIL are running wild.

He has had to navigate both of those elements when recruiting players to come play for the program.

His first game on the UNC sideline will be September 1 against TCU.

Related: Bill Belichick, UNC Have Landed A Quarterback In Transfer Portal