UNC head coach Bill Belichick took a hit from HOFer Adam Vinatieri surrounding his relationship, as his Tar Heels stare down another pivotal meeting with TCU in just a few, short weeks.
As Bill Belichick continues to get North Carolina ready for its second season with him at the helm, the legendary NFL head coach took a shot from one of his most decorated former players.
Former New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri was a member of the latest class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which was celebrated recently in Canton.
During his time to reflect on the monumental occasion, Vinatieri made reference to Belichick, who he played under with the Patriots, and his controversial relationship.
"Unfortunately, Bill couldn't make it here today. There's a lot going on at UNC right now," said Vinatieri.
"I thought it was because training camp had already started, but in truth, it's because he's judging his girlfriend's cheerleading competition," Vinatieri jokingly revealed.
This, of course, was a tongue-and-cheek reference to Belichick's dating situation with 24-year-old Jordan Hudson, which has been a hot topic since its inception.
Belichick assuredly was back in Chapel Hill trying to navigate the intricacies of fall camp leading up to a rematch with TCU in Ireland in a few short weeks, as the kicker originally claimed, but it was still a blistering dig at his former coach.
Granted, this was far from the only joke made by Vinateri, or his fellow inductees for that matter, and he did give Belichick his flowers moments before making the comment at his expense.
But it is ultimately the latest move that highlights how the six-time Super Bowl winning head coach is being viewed now.
Outside of the notorious relationship with Hudson, Belichick's time with the Tar Heels has been mired by scandals and very little success to offset it.
All of this downward spiral can arguably be traced back to the first week of the season last year, as Belichick entered his highly anticipated debut at the college ranks after the aforementioned stellar career in the pros.
What actually awaited Belichick was an absolute embarrassment at the hands of TCU after the Horned Frogs blazed into Chapel Hill and laid down a 48-14 beatdown.
The thunderous celebration of one of the sport's most iconic figures ended with a whimper and the rest of the season did not pan out much better for North Carolina.
The Tar Heels eventually limped toward a 4-8 record in a disappointing first outing for Belichick.
With an opposite swarm of attention this offseason, North Carolina and Belichick finds itself back in the same place it did a year ago, staring down an opening matching with TCU.
This latest meeting with Horned Frogs may be taking place in an entirely different nation, but the pressure it holds for Belichick is virtually the same and another failure could signal the end of his college experiment.
