Bill Belichick’s Move to UNC: Will His NFL Success Transfer to College Football?

Boy, did I not see this coming, but here we are. Bill Belichick is a head coach once again, but not in the NFL.

Belichick and the University of North Carolina have agreed to have the greatest NFL coach of all time take over as the Tar Heels' main man. This is honestly the most surreal news of the entire year, and let's be honest, a ton of wild and crazy things have happened in 2024.

Again, Belichick is the greatest NFL head coach of all time. The man has been to nine Super Bowls, winning six of them. He has 31 playoff wins, the most of all time. He leads everyone with 19 division championships, the most in NFL history. He's a three-time Coach of the Year winner and is widely known for being one of the most influential and innovative defensive minds ever. And this doesn't even include all the work he did before coming to New England.

While I do agree that players win games, a quality head coach (especially in football) is essential. Think about what the Patriots have been known for over the past two decades. Terms like "disciplined," "mistake-free," and "intelligent" come to mind. In fact, they have feasted on other teams' mistakes.

All of these attributes will be crucial in Chapel Hill, as he takes the reins of a football program that is a mid-tier ACC team, on a campus that cares much more about basketball.

But if anyone can turn a program around, it's Belichick... well, maybe. I do have my doubts

First off, Belichick has never coached college football. It is not the same game. The rules are different. The style of the game is different. The players are inexperienced, and many will never even sniff the NFL. A lot of mistakes will happen. A lot of penalties will occur. Even the greatest college coaches can't fix every error from players who might be as young as 17. That's just college football.

Secondly, how will recruiting go? It's a heck of a lot different trying to get a high school kid to commit to your school than it is to sign a 28-year-old free agent. Plus, UNC will not have the NIL money to compete with the likes of the big boys like Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, and Michigan, just to name a few.

And finally, Belichick is 72 years old. There is an expiration date even for the greatest coaches. The last thing a school wants is an aging coach who refuses to change his ways or can't connect with the younger generation. Go ask Florida State fans how fun it was to watch Bobby Bowden at the end of his career.

But even with all of this, we are still talking about Bill Belichick. And if anyone is up to the challenge, it’s him. He will likely have the Tar Heels playing at a much higher level than they have in a long, long time. There will likely be an influx of NIL money from donors who are excited to see what Belichick can do. However, there is nothing that can make him younger, and I do fear there will be a strong disconnect between him and the youth. Belichick better hire a good staff to ensure this issue is addressed.

I do hope I'm wrong, as I would love to see Belichick prevail and be successful. Not so much for UNC, but for the man himself, who absolutely should still be coaching in the NFL.

Best of luck to Bill. Here's hoping he doesn’t make the mistake of hiring Matt Patricia.