Bill Belichick's debut as head coach at North Carolina didn't go well. They lost 48-14 to TCU and it got so bad that North Carolina fans left the game early.
Not what some had expected coming from the coach who led the New England Patriots to four Super Bowls. However, the pressure is beginning to mount.
One of those is Ralph D. Russo of The Athletic. He said that the feeling surrounding North Carolina is a sense of urgency to win consistently, per The Audible Podcast.
“There's this feeling that they made this hire to create this incredible enthusiasm,” he said. “But there's also an acknowledgement among everybody at North Carolina that you still have to win and you have to win quickly and you kind of have to win kind of big. To give the people, the fans to stay invested. And then to get the investors, literally the investors, to keep investing.”
Additionally, Russo says that Belichick has the potential to turn the program around for the long term.
“And they also understand that there's a small window here,” Russo said. “Nobody is under the delusion that this is going to be a five-year deal. They are thinking two to three years for him to set us off like a rocket, get things in place that will create a ton of enthusiasm, create a ton of investment, and then he'll hand it off a program that is much better situated than when he took over. That is how we will change the trajectory of North Carolina Football long term.”
The heightened attention on North Carolina football
By any objective measure, North Carolina is by no means a national powerhouse. The increased visibility of their program is due to the presence of Belichick.
In January, he signed a contract for $10 million annually as head coach. Additionally, many prominent North Carolina figures are coming out of the woodwork to throw their support behind the program.
Among them include both Michael Jordan and Lawrence Taylor who each watched his debut. The games are generating buzz with greater media exposure, increased ticket sales, and increased donations.
The hype is there, but time will tell if the hype is to be believed.
