OPINION
Bill Belichick’s critics have been busy this fall. Every close loss gets treated like a verdict, and every win comes with an asterisk. I have covered the NFL for more than thirty years, and I see something different happening in Chapel Hill.
I was stunned by the blowback when Belichick began building his first roster in 2025. Landing a coach of his caliber was a major coup, and I told anyone who would listen it was like winning the lottery. Tar Heel fans should have been ecstatic. Anyone who thinks Tom Brady was the main reason the Patriots won all those Super Bowls does not know what I know about the NFL. Football has far more moving parts than basketball, and the coach matters more than most fans realize. Even in the NBA, where a handful of players can swing a game, the Bulls did not win their championships until Scottie Pippen and coach Phil Jackson joined Michael Jordan. The greatest player on the planet still needed the right people around him.
The Bill Belichick Hire Was a Coup
Start with the hire. In December of 2024, North Carolina landed the most successful coach of the modern era at a moment when the NFL showed almost no interest in him. Five years, a reported $50 million, and a program that had spent too long looking for an identity. The league had walked away from a man with eight Super Bowl rings between his head coaching and coordinator days, and UNC was smart enough to say yes.
He also arrived late. Belichick took the job in December, after the recruiting calendar and the transfer portal had already done their work. He built his first roster on the fly, and the result was a 4-8 season. Anyone who expected a miracle in that setup was not paying attention to how college football actually works.
The Backlash Peaked in 2025
The backlash peaked in October 2025, when reports surfaced that Belichick was looking for a buyout. At his Oct. 13 press conference, he shut that down. “It is categorically false,” he said. “There’s zero truth to any of that. Glad I’m here.” He credited the support of Chancellor Lee Roberts and the athletic department leadership, then added, “Like Bill Walsh said, the score will take care of itself, and I’ve always believed that.” That is a coach who believes in what he is building.
Year Two Shows Real Progress
Now look at year two. UNC sits at 5-4 with three games left, already one win better than all of last season. The Tar Heels took the Victory Bell back from Duke in Durham, and they beat UConn 38-21 last time out. The program is moving in the right direction.
The record also undersells this team. At Clemson, UNC had a second and goal at the Tigers’ 7-yard line when a weather delay changed the course of the game, and the home team rallied for a 28-20 win. Syracuse went to overtime and ended 31-30. Miami, when it was ranked No. 1, needed every one of its 38 points to hold off the Heels by three. Flip a handful of plays in those games and this team is 7-2, maybe 8-1. I have seen playoff teams in the NFL separated from the couch by less.
Here is something else worth noting. On the most recent College Football Playoff rankings broadcast, the presentation pointed to North Carolina as a key win in the ranking of both Notre Dame and Miami. Think about what that says. Two of the top contenders in the country are being measured, in part, by what they did against Belichick’s Tar Heels. Teams do not lean on a win over a program that is going nowhere.
Why the Next Two Weeks Matter
That is why the next two weeks matter. Louisville comes to Chapel Hill on Saturday, and then UNC travels to Virginia on November 21. In theory, these are the games that quiet the doubters. Win both and the Tar Heels are 7-4 with bowl eligibility secured. I am not predicting it. I am saying the opportunity is real, and nobody should be surprised if Belichick’s team takes it.
Back to Brady and the Patriots
Now back to Brady. Belichick won two Super Bowls as the Giants’ defensive coordinator before he ever met him. Then he took a sixth-round pick and built a system, a defense and a culture around him that lasted two decades. In New England, Belichick won six Super Bowls, more than any head coach in history, and he played in nine. His teams won 17 division titles, also the most by any head coach, and he owns the record with 31 playoff wins. His 302 regular season wins trail only Don Shula and George Halas.
The best example of what he adds is how he handles a defense. In Super Bowl LIII, the Rams came in with one of the highest-scoring offenses in the league. Belichick’s game plan held them to three points in a 13-3 win, the lowest-scoring Super Bowl ever played. Sean McVay said afterward that he got outcoached. That was not a quarterback winning a game. That was a coach taking away everything the other team did best. Brady was great. So was the man who found him, shaped him, and put him in position to win. Brady’s own seventh ring came in Tampa, but the six in New England came from a partnership, not a solo act.
College football is a different game, and Belichick is still learning its quirks. Fans of any program should want a coach with that much knowledge in the building. The NFL turned him down. North Carolina should keep saying thank you.
