Bill Belichick’s tenure with the North Carolina Tar Heels has been bumpy. Some analysts wonder why he chose to take over the program in the first place.
Analysts Wonder Why Bill Belichick Chose North Carolina
Bill Belichick’s decision to drop to the collegiate level and coach the North Carolina Tar Heels was a bit of a head-scratcher at the time. Before he even coached a game for the program, the wheels seemed to fall off in Chapel Hill.
Wave’s Bomani Jones and college football analyst Spencer Hall discussed Belichick’s tenure thus far, dating back to his choice to take over for UNC. The Tar Heels open their season on Sept. 1 against TCU.
“So, you’re telling me that an older legend in a new environment is having challenges adjusting to that environment?” Hall said Wednesday on “The Right Time with Bomani Jones.”
“Something we could’ve figured out by asking anyone or looking at a single case of how this has happened before. That’s it. I could’ve told you that when you announced your staff. I could’ve told you that when you went to North Carolina. Like, Bill Belichick, if you wanted to take that gig and go, ‘I wanna do this and cement my legacy by being really good at the college, too.”
“Bo, where does UNC rank on your list of institutions where this would be a layup to do in your 70s?”
“At a historical over/under seven-win program?” Jones answered.
Since the turn of the century, the Tar Heels have had one double-digit win season—an 11-3 effort in 2015. They’ve been searching for consistent success while switching leaders often.
“I talked to a good friend of mine around the program, and he was just like, ‘Look, I’m down for this,'” Jones said. “Now, to me, it was obvious that this wouldn’t work for Belichick, and for no other reason than what we learned about with his last stint with the Patriots, his ability to evaluate talent is questionable. Right? And this game is all about your ability to evaluate and develop talent.”
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Jones’ source listed different types of coaches the Tar Heels have cycled through. Since 2000, North Carolina has been steered by Carl Torbush (1998-2000), John Bunting (2001-06), Butch Davis (2007-10), Everett Withers (2011), Larry Fedora (2012-18) and Mack Brown (2019-24).
“He said, ‘I’ve watched them try everything,'” Jones said. “‘I’ve watched them try the NFL guy — only NFL, only has (collegiate) attachments to this program. I’ve seen them try the NFL guy who also had college success. I’ve seen them try the offensive genius. I’ve seen them try the defensive guy. … None of it’s worked. Why not try Bill Belichick?’ And he has actually been the one who seems like an embarrassment.”
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