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Paul Finebaum: Bill Belichick Should 'Walk Out' At UNC to Avoid Further Humiliation
Rumors about Bill Belichick's job security at North Carolina caused the school to put out a statement on Wednesday backing their high-profile coach and Belichick reaffirming that he's all-in at Chapel Hill.
Things have not been pretty during the opening month-plus of this grand experiment as the Tar Heels sit at 2–3 and have been wildly overmatched against decent competition. Add the on-field results to what could be described as a media circus and there's not a lot for UNC to celebrate right now. While some believe one of the greatest coaches of all time will figure out a path forward, ESPN's Paul Finebaum has essentially seen enough and is encouraging Belichick to cut bait.
"I think Bill Belichick would be wise to walk out now before the humiliation gets any worse," Finebaum said on Thursday's Get Up.
"I think Bill Belichick would be wise to walk out now before the humiliation gets any worse." 😳
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) October 9, 2025
—@finebaum on Bill Belichick as UNC's head coach pic.twitter.com/QMaPKe734j
"It feels to me like it is over," Finebaum said of the Belichick–North Carolina marriage. "I think his behavior is indicative of that. Not to make too much out of it but he basically took a week off during the bye week. And he's entitled to have his own private life, we've said that repeatedly here, but I've never heard of a coach in big-time college football to do something like that. Maybe take an afternoon off to play golf during the bye week but not go on vacation. So to me, he has checked out."
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It really is worth pointing out that Belichick has coached all of five games. The season isn't even halfway over. And we're at this point of the process. Barring a sudden reversal fortune and some better play, this storyline will continue as things have not played out as hoped for coach and school alike.
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Kyle Koster is an assistant managing editor at Sports Illustrated covering the intersection of sports and media. He was formerly the editor in chief of The Big Lead, where he worked from 2011 to '24. Koster also did turns at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he created the Sports Pros(e) blog, and at Woven Digital.