Bill Belichick Brings Longstanding Patriots Tradition to First North Carolina Practices

The UNC Tar Heels are doing things differently under their new head coach.

Belichick watches on at a Patriots practice. | Sarah Kloepping/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK

The North Carolina Tar Heels took the practice field on Wednesday afternoon for the second time under new head coach Bill Belichick—and they did so with an interesting twist.

The Tar Heels' jerseys they were wearing didn't have either numbers or names on the back of them. Belichick explained why in his press conference following the session.

"The numbers and clothes you wear is not as important as doing your job and being a good teammates," he said, as transcribed by 247 Sports' Ross Martin. "We did that in New England ... I don’t think that is important this time of year."

#UNC HC Bill Belichick on not having player numbers or names on jerseys: “The numbers and clothes you wear is not as important as doing your job and being a good teammates… we did that in New England… I don’t think that is important this time of year.”

— Ross Martin (@RossMartinNC) March 5, 2025

As Belichick mentioned, the Patriots did something similar during his reign in Foxborough—with players wearing numberless jerseys during minicamp and rookies not even being assigned their digits until the team's first preseason game.

The "Tar Heel Way" is already in full effect in Chapel Hill.

North Carolina opens up its first season under Belichick against the TCU Horned Frogs at UNC's Kenan Stadium on Sept. 1. They are getting the full Monday Night Football treatment with the contest kicking off at 7:30 p.m. ET that night and airing on ESPN.

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