From the looks of it, North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick is staying on board.
The whole Belichick story in Chapel Hill just never seemed right.
From the time he was hired, to his first game as a college coach the Tar Heels were smoked by TCU, and now to today – seven weeks in – where he and UNC Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham had to put out a statement that they were both committed to each other.
Just an overall weird situation.
For someone who’s been involved in the NFL since 1975, why would he opt to coach a group of 18-24 year olds, a lot of whom aren’t going anywhere near the NFL?
When the 73-year old Belichick signed on in December 2024, the decision initially came with overwhelming positivity.
The coach that led the NFL's biggest dynasty plans to coach college kids? If anyone knew talent, it was going to be the guy who put Tom Brady in a position to succeed as a rookie.
Yet the day of October 8th casts a dark shadow over Chapel Hill.
Not because Belichick is staying on board as head coach, but it’s how we got here.
Back in August, there was a report that the school and Hulu were planning a season-long documentary to get a peak behind the curtain of Belichick’s coaching style.
Belichick, who’s often a tight-lipped, private individual, has turned his post-NFL career into sort of a sideshow.
From his decision to coach college kids, to his mysterious and peculiar relationship with Jordon Hudson, every decision that he’s made in the past 12 months has been a head scratcher.
Hudson has had a lot of say in the six-time Super Bowl winning champion’s life. At one point, we were having a wholesome peak into his life with her social media posts. But then, there were warning signs.
She wouldn’t leave his side, she would act as his spokesperson, would only let him answer questions she approved of in interviews, and then he would request that she be copied on all emails that were addressed to him.
She’s also had a presence on UNC sidelines, in a viral moment that showed her giving what looked like a pep-talk to Belichick
Not just that, this past week, Hudson and ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips had an in-depth discussion prior to Carolina’s battle against Clemson.
It’s clear that the 24-year old has a significant amount of say in the program whether they want to say anything or not.
Regardless, with someone who has such a storied career in football, it’s an incredibly odd situation that Belichick has found himself in.
To his credit, he’s done a fantastic job at recruiting, compiling the 17th-best recruiting class in 2026, which includes impressive four-star quarterback Travis Burgess.
But beyond that, there has been a lot that has left the college football landscape scratching their heads, as the marriage between Belichick and the Tar Heels stay in tact for the kids.