UNC only has one chance to show what Belichick can do.
We have to remember that in college sports, things are a lot bigger than wins and losses. Obviously, for a program like North Carolina, whether it be in basketball, football, baseball, women's sports, or anything in between, winning is typically viewed as the priority.
I can understand why, given how much North Carolina spends on its athletic programs, but the reality is that some of these coaches are expected to help young people grow into adults and teach them about life.
The football program falls somewhere in the middle. Bringing in head coach Bill Belichick, there was obviously a hope and expectation that North Carolina was going to win games at a very high level.
However, for a North Carolina school typically viewed as one of the best in America educationally and in terms of its standards, what it has done on the football field over the past two seasons since Belichick took over is very disappointing, to say the least.
While Belichick has often been part of the reason, higher-ups in the administration have recently made some promising comments.
That includes the university's chancellor, who recently suggested that Belichick understands the standards and expectations around the school just as well as anybody.
“Coach [Bill] Belichick continues to have our support, the support of the administration and of the board,” Chancellor Lee Roberts said, per WRAL. “He understands that support comes with expectations around conduct and behavior. Nobody understands that better than Coach [Bill] Belichick.”
There have obviously been times over the past two years when it hasn't felt like Belichick understands those standards and expectations, but there's a lot more at play here than him not following certain expectations and rules.
Ultimately, North Carolina hasn't made some of the right hires under Belichick, and we can blame him for that.
At the same time, some of the things that have happened aren't all his fault, which needs to be factored in when speaking about his tenure so far.
It's not unfair to also say that Belichick deserves a chance to make things right. Whether that's winning games or doing better for the school, UNC should see this through.
For now.
