It was a rough first season for Bill Belichick at North Carolina. The former New England Patriots head coach and Super Bowl winner went 4-8 with the Tar Heels. It was a season filled with frustration from start to finish.
He is back for a second season in Chapel Hill, and it begins on Saturday when UNC plays TCU in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland. Last season, the Horned Frogs blew out the Tar Heels, 48-14, on Labor Day night in Belichick’s first game in college.
There is no doubt that there is going to be a lot of eyes on Belichick going into the 2026 season. Paul Finebaum of ESPN spoke on “First Take” this week and ripped the 74-year-old coach.
Paul Finebaum Rips North Carolina Coach Bill Belichick
If you have been paying attention to Finebaum, you know that he’s not afraid to give an opinion on a coach. He has ripped Clemson’s Dabo Swinney and others. This week, his rant was focused on Belichick.
“I’m not pulling for Bill Belichick,” Finebaum said. “He’s a grouch. He’s a bully. And his career in college is about to go down in flames. He lost Michael Lombardi, his chief assistant and GM. His son disappeared from the staff a couple of weeks ago as defensive coordinator. It is mass chaos in Chapel Hill… I don’t think Bill Belichick is going to survive until the end of the season.”
Many believed that Belichick wouldn’t make it to the end of last season. He did, but there is no denying the off-the-field issues that have been going on.
“The idea that somebody who has easily wrapped up the title as the greatest NFL coach of all time, with his six championships in the Super Bowl … is going to go down in flames,” added Finebaum. “But he did it to himself. He couldn’t accept that nobody in the NFL wanted him anymore, and because he is Bill Belichick and he knows more than anybody, even though we now know that it was Tom Brady who led him to all those Super Bowl championships. Bill Belichick had to find a university that would offer him a job, and he would show the world that he is the greatest coach of all time.”
Bill Belichick Facing Big Year 2 at North Carolina
There really is nowhere to go but up for the Tar Heels and Belichick in 2026. At this point, the fanbase would take six wins and a bowl game. Given the schedule, that might be easier said than done.
After hosting East Tennessee State on September 12, UNC plays at Clemson and then at home against No. 4 Notre Dame on October 3. There are also games at home against No. 7 Miami and No. 24 Louisville, along with a trip to play Virginia. They will close the season with a tough home game against NC State.
“(Belichick) has proven to be a disaster,” said Finebaum. “He’s one of the worst college football coaches in a short period of time I have ever seen. And I see no way this is going to be a successful landing or ending for Belichick.”
If Belichick is going to be successful, winning in Ireland against TCU would be an ideal way to start the season.
Paul Finebaum Roasts Bill Belichick Ahead of North Carolina’s Season Opener