North Carolina football coach Bill Belichick has definitely brought a lot of attention to the program, after getting the job some months ago. Belichick is preparing to lead the team for his first campaign as head coach. He is ready for the task ahead.
“It’s almost football season here,” Belichick said to reporters at a recent media session, per MassLive.
Belichick takes over from Mack Brown, who had a lot of success in Chapel Hill. North Carolina had a difficult 2024 season, though, and the school decided to move on from Brown. It was a surprise to many that Belichick, who spent years coaching in the NFL, decided to take a college job.
This offseason, Belichick has made headlines for his new book, as well as his relationship with Jordon Hudson. The North Carolina football coach won six Super Bowls while coaching the New England Patriots.
Bill Belichick faces pressure to win at North Carolina
Belichick left coaching following the 2023 NFL season. It wasn't a very pleasant parting for the coach from the Patriots. Belichick struggled to win in New England after Tom Brady left the team for Tampa Bay.
The head coach faces pressure to win in the ACC right away. North Carolina football fans would love to see the Tar Heels make the College Football Playoff this season. In 2024, North Carolina won just three conference games en route to a disappointing 6-7 campaign.
North Carolina football players are aware of all the rumors, speculation and drama that surrounds Belichick right now. There is an enormous amount of press about Belichick's relationship to Hudson. They don't see it as a distraction from the task at hand, which is to win games.
“Social media can promote some narrative, but that was not a distraction to us at all,” North Carolina wide receiver Jordan Shipp said, per ESPN. “There was never a problem, like people saying she was running practice. We'd never really see her in the building. That was never a problem.”
Shipp says the players really have embraced their new coach.
“If anything, I feel like it's not a distraction because it's always good to have somebody in your corner in the building, just knowing they support us,” Shipp added. “We support Coach B no matter what he's doing. We're behind him 100%. Whatever stuff is in the news drug on more than it really was. It was never a distraction, never an issue, never a problem.”
North Carolina football starts their season on September 1 against TCU.
