Mike Vrabel Seemed to Take Shot at Bill Belichick After Ugly UNC Debut

Vrabel didn't seem impressed with Belichick's opener at North Carolina.

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel didn't seem impressed with Bill Belichick's debut at North Carolina. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Mike Vrabel may have just taken a shot at the man who used to have his job.

On Tuesday, the New England Patriots' head coach made an appearance on WEEI's The Greg Hill Show and discussed Bill Belichick's debut at North Carolina. He seemed to imply things should have gone better.

The Tar Heels were blown out by TCU on Sunday night, falling 48-14 in Belichick's first game as a college head coach. Hill asked Vrabel about it, saying, "You coached in college, it takes a while, don't you think, to get a program going?"

Vrabel's response was fairly savage.

"I don't know, Urban Meyer won 12 of his first 12 games at Ohio State, so it didn't take him long, Vrabel said. "That's my experience in college football."

Ouch.

What did Vrabel think of TCU vs UNC?
Greg: "you coached in college, it takes awhile don't you think, to get a program going?"
Vrabel: "Urban Meyer won 12, of his first 12 games, at Ohio State" @WEEI pic.twitter.com/wOMssjJqfe

— The Greg Hill Show (@TheGregHillShow) September 2, 2025

Vrabel was the defensive line coach at Ohio State in 2012 when Meyer took the Buckeyes to a 12-0 season in his first year on campus. So, yeah, he's seen firsthand it doesn't take long to turn things around.

Vrabel will have his own work to do turning around a program after the Patriots hired him this offseason. He played under Belichick from 2001 to '08 and won three Super Bowls with the team, so he saw what the 73-year-old head coach can do.

As a head coach, Vrabel spent six years in charge of the Tennessee Titans, compiling a 54-45 record, two AFC South titles, and three playoff berths. He was dismissed from the job after going 6-11 during the 2023 campaign.

He'll be hoping for a better debut with the Patriots than Belichick had with the Tar Heels when his team kicks off its 2025 season on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders.

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