North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick just received a major endorsement.
Things have not exactly been easy for Bill Belichick in his first year-plus as North Carolina Tar Heels head coach.
Belichick took the job in December 2024 and trudged through a miserable debut campaign in Chapel Hill, going just 4-8 while suffering a handful of embarrassing blowout losses.
It marked the first time North Carolina did not qualify for a bowl game since 2018, and Belichick's behavior (banning New England Patriots scouts from the UNC facility, barring Drake Maye content on social media, etc.) did not exactly do him any favors, either.
That being said, the overall reception to Belichick has been positive when it comes to the Tar Heels' work on the recruiting trail. The NFL legend has been commended for his professionalism, and it seems pretty clear that North Carolina is making headway when it comes to luring some of the top players.
Not only that, but the Tar Heels were able to keep some key pieces during the offseason, such as wide receiver Jordan Shipp.
There had been speculation that Shipp could transfer, but he ultimately re-signed with UNC, and recently, the 6-foot-2 pass-catcher raved about Belichick.
North Carolina Tar Heels receiver Jordan Shipp. Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images."You look at football, it didn’t really make sense for me to leave," Shipp said, via Grant Chacere of USA Today. "This is where I want to be. I love Carolina. ... With a great coach, like Coach Belichick, there’s no need to leave."
Shipp arrived at North Carolina in 2024, a year before Belichick took the job. He logged just nine catches for 114 yards and a touchdown in his first season, but last year, he hauled in 60 receptions for 671 yards and six scores.
The redshirt sophomore has now put himself on the map as an NFL prospect heading into his third season with the Tar Heels, and it's entirely possible that a 1,000-yard campaign could be on the horizon for him.
“I think he’s been a great representative of the program, on and off the field and in the classroom, academically as well,” Belichick said of Shipp. “He’s the front of the line, whatever the line is, whether it’s academics, whether it’s training, whether it’s football, playing. ... What Jordan has accomplished, he’s earned. Nothing was given to him.”
Clearly, Shipp and Belichick have a terrific relationship, which flies in the face of speculation that Belichick has no control over UNC's locker room.
We'll see if Shipp can put together an even stronger season in 2026.
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