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He knows a thing or two about life at North Carolina, and Drake Maye has plenty to say about Bill Belichick surprisingly taking over at Chapel Hill.
Rookie New England Patriots quarterback Maye, who played his collegiate football at North Carolina, actually gave his thoughts before former six-time Super Bowl-winning Pats head coach Belichick trod the same path in reverse.
Maye told reporters, including ESPN’s Mike Reiss, “Obviously, you know, legendary coach, you know with the success he had here, and what a great place Chapel Hill is. Any time you have a legendary NFL coach going back to college I think it’s cool.”
When Maye spoke, the idea of Belichick becoming a college head coach at 72 wasn’t as far off as it appeared. Not after Ollie Connolly of the Guardian US had reported on Tuesday “Belichick has agreed to become the next UNC coach. Belichick handed the school a 400 page ‘organizational bible’ with structure, payment plans, staffing choices etc. decisions on whether to commit with UNC. He is expected to know their decision within 24 hours.”
The move was eventually made official on Wednesday and confirmed by Reiss’ ESPN colleagues Adam Shefter and his colleagues Pete Thamel and Chris Low on Wednesday, December 11.
Belichick taking over at the same SEC program Maye thrived within is a shock to many. The NFL head coaching lifer is going to be in unfamiliar surroundings, but there’s a symmetry to the Tar Heels pinning their hopes on a Patriots legend, much in the same way the Pats have done with UNC star Maye to revive their franchise.
Bill Belichick’s Surprise Move Caps Hectic End to Patriots Dominance
It’s been a wild few months for Belichick. He stepped down in New England back in January after nearly a quarter of a century at the helm.
Belichick likely walked before he was officially pushed after overseeing a largely dismal four seasons since the Patriots last won a Super Bowl following the 2018 campaign. Two playoff appearances, but no postseason wins, and three other losing seasons took some of the lustre off Belichick’s otherwise decorated tenure.
He’d struggled to replace quarterback Tom Brady and made questionable decisions concerning the development of 2021 first-round pick Mac Jones. Not the least of which was letting former defensive coordinator Matt Patricia and special teams coach Joe Judge take control of the offense during Jones’ second season.
Belichick’s record without Brady is also a blot on his pro-level copybook. He is just 82-99 without Brady, counting playoffs and the 2008 season when TB12 suffered a season-ending injury early in Week 1’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs, leading to the Patriots missing the playoffs.
A feeling pervaded during his final season, 2023’s 4-13 disaster, Belichick’s style had fallen out of favor with players. Maybe that makes sense of his decision to switch to college, but the choice leaves Belichick with plenty to prove in uncharted territory.
Perhaps that’s why Belichick is likely to lean on a cadre of ex-Patriots assistants. They include Patricia, according to Connolly. The latter also noted how Belichick’s son Stephen, a one-time defensive backs and outside linebackers coach in New England, has a “guarantee” to take over as “head coach in waiting.”
Maye is likely to keep a close watch on how Belichick fares at his alma mater. The first-year passer will also focus on proving the longtime Patriots coach wrong.
Drake Maye Can Help Patriots Prove Bill Belichick Wrong
Belichick hasn’t exactly been shy about being critical of his old team. He took aim at Maye back in September, when Belichick claimed the third-overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft had more to do to get up to speed in the pros than other rookie QBs.
Belichick’s critique of the current state of the Patriots didn’t stop with Maye. He also made a point of questioning his successor Jerod Mayo.
Specifically, Belichick voiced his disapproval of Mayo publicly calling out the Patriots defense in October. It was a tough assessment from a respected coach of one of his former players. Especially since Mayo is a rookie in the top job and facing a large-scale rebuild.
Mayo has gone from coaching inside linebackers to being in overall charge of preparation and the game-day operation. It’s a massive step up in responsibility, and Mayo has run into difficulty.
The 38-year-old has also inherited a roster bereft of talent in key areas, particularly on an offense Belichick had neglected for too long. Mayo and general manager Eliot Wolf drafted Maye to fix that problem, and there have been signs of progress even Patriots opponents can’t ignore.
Of course, true progress can only be measured in wins. The problem is those are hard to come by unless you have a quarterback primed for greatness surrounded by the right supporting cast.
Mayo and Wolf think they have one half of the equation, but fixing the rest requires time. It’s going to be fascinating tracking their efforts alongside Belichick’s attempts to win in college.
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