Insider Reveals Bill Belichick’s Arrival at UNC Sparked Academic Standards Drop and Massive Program Shakeup

“As far as North Carolina and Bill Belichick now, he’s arguably the best coach ever,” Brown said. “They’ve committed money to it, they’ve helped him with academics. They’ve lowered those standards some.

“So there’s no reason they shouldn’t be successful. And anymore, they’ve changed the roster … So you’ve got a chance to succeed at the highest level, and I expect him to do that and I’m proud of him.”

For example, North Carolina has reportedly boosted its NIL package from $4 million to $20 million upon Belichick’s arrival. As Brown noted, he had to recruit kids without money available, and he even once encouraged a player to leave his program for a $1 million payday because he simply couldn’t come close to matching it.

Well-respected college football analyst Adam Breneman shared his input in an Instagram post. “UNC gave Bill Belichick everything he asked for,” Breneman says. “We’re talking big money and even lower academic standards. That’s not just speculation, Mack Brown has said it himself.”

“Mack Brown did not hold back when talking about this. He said UNC relaxed academic standards and dumped resources into football, all to make sure Bill Belichick can win. Honestly, that’s what you do when you get the greatest coach ever. I have no issue with it. You don’t handcuff him, you clear the runway.”

“But this is bigger than UNC. This is what college football is becoming. Big money, NIL arms race, and academic flexibility. The term student athlete with student first will not be that way much longer. If you want to win, those things aren’t optional anymore. If Belichick can turn UNC into a powerhouse, every team in the country will follow that blueprint pretty soon.”

North Carolina hired Belichick in December, and he’s set to make $10 million per season. That makes him among the top 10 highest-paid coaches in college football. By comparison, Brown was paid just half of what Belichick makes.

And, while specifics on this front aren’t known, Brown’s comments about North Carolina lowering its academic standards were notable too, especially after the school was caught offering athletes a fake “shadow curriculum” to keep them eligible for nearly 20 years, almost a decade ago. Though North Carolina surely isn’t going that far with things this time around, it’s easy to make the comparison.

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Brown had two coaching runs at North Carolina, starting in 1988-97 and starting in 2019. He spent the last six seasons with the Tar Heels but parted with the school after last season ended. They went 6-6 under his watch in his final season, and he said he felt the time was right for him to go.

“North Carolina didn’t have NIL money [for me],” Brown said. “I said we were kind of a slow bleed. We weren’t able to recruit the top kids like we were when we first got there. So it was time for them, and it was time for me. It was kind of like a divorce. Everybody was ready … It was best for me to get out.”

The Belichick era will begin on Sept. 1st, when the UNC Tar Heels face the TCU Horned Frogs.

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