North Carolina Tar Heels coach Bill Belichick is one of the best to ever do it in the profession.
So what he says carries much weight. Belichick had plenty of complimentary things to say about UCF Knights coach Scott Frost ahead of their matchup Saturday. Belichick even played a role in the New York Jets taking Frost in the third round of the NFL draft.
Belichick was the Jets' defensive coordinator before building the New England Patriots dynasty in the 2000s.
"I've coached against a few people that I've had before," Belichick said during his weekly press conference. "When we drafted Scott in the third round he was a college quarterback and made the conversion to safety. He had a lot to learn, obviously, but picked it up pretty quickly. He also played in the kicking game and picked that up."
Belichick said he was impressed with how fast Frost adjusted to playing defense after playing quarterback at Nebraska. He played three seasons in New York before his career ended in 2003.
"He had a very good feel for it defensively with what the offense did," Belichick said. "What the quarterback was looking at and what kind of what the quarterback read and things like that. For those players that have flipped from one side of the ball to the other, having that experience, especially as a defensive back having played quarterback, is a big advantage."
Belichick wasn't surprised to see Frost excel as a coach after having him as a player. Frost is beginning his second stint at UCF after bringing the program to national prominence from 2016-17. The Knights went undefeated in Frost's second season before he left to take the job at Nebraska.
After struggling during his stint with the Cornhuskers, he is back to regain the success from the previous decade.
"Scott was a hardworking guy," Belichick said. "He was smart, and very versatile as a football player to be able to play in all three phases of the game. You don't see that very often these days where guys can generally line up in all three positions."
Belichick is also in a new beginning. After winning six Super Bowls with the Patriots, he is in his first season with the Tar Heels. The move was surprising because many felt his coaching career had ended.
Shandel Richardson is the publisher of UCFRoundtable. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com