Coming into the 2026 college football season, there are some serious question marks about North Carolina and Bill Belichick. But that shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone.
It was a rough 2025 season for the Tar Heels, as they went 4-8, finishing 98th out of 136 teams last year. Heading into 2026, while there is some optimism with Belichick at the helm, the questions about his fit with the team are hard to ignore.
David Kenyon of Bleacher Report is predicting that Belichick is already on the hot seat, highlighting all of the "in-theory" potential of this team that could still result in another disappointing season.
"In theory, Belichick is the smartest guy on the field," Kenyon writes. "In theory, he could elevate a properly built team. In theory, the Tar Heels can ascend. That vision will become less believable if UNC remains a mess in 2026."
There is no denying how good the Tar Heels could be if Belichick were to get the most out of the players on the team.
His NFL success as a head coach with the New England Patriots and even a brief stint with the Cleveland Browns resulted in six Super Bowl titles, three Coach of the Year awards, and a remarkable .647 winning percentage in the regular season.
But with the Tar Heels so far, there has been too much off-field drama with Jordon Hudson, Michael Lombardi, and Steve Belichick's departure from the team.
UNC did win their first game of the 2026 season against TCU, 15-10, which is a good way to start their 2026 campaign and second season with the Tar Heels.
But there's still plenty of the season left, and the offense, which was a huge issue last year, only scored 15 points. If that offense can't figure things out, there could be some long-term concern.
Belichick should still be considered on the hot seat, even with this strong win against TCU. It's a good start and should help cool his seat down a little bit.
The questions surrounding UNC won't stop until they continually prove they're a great team by either making the College Football Playoff or simply having a winning record.
The potential of this team with Belichick as the head coach is very high, but if things fall apart again, as they did in his first season, it would not be a surprise if the coaching seat of Belichick got very hot as the year rolls along and the offseason begins.
