Marcus Freeman Weighs in on Bill Belichick's New North Carolina Job

Freeman sees big things for the Tar Heels under the most accomplished coach in NFL history

Dec 12, 2024; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels new head coach Bill Belichick speaks to those attending at Loudermilk Center for Excellence. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Notre Dame and North Carolina aren't traditional football rivals but when you sort out the all-time opponents for the Fighting Irish, but its 23 games all-time against the Tar Heels is the 16th most frequent opponent it has ever played.

The next time Notre Dame and North Carolina are scheduled to play is October of 2026 in Chapel Hill. When the two do, North Carolina will be employing one of the greatest coaches in any sport all-time as legendary NFL coach Bill Belichick recently accepted the position.

Marcus Freeman on Bill Belichick Takings North Carolina Job

Notre Dame head football coach Marcus Freeman was asked Sunday about Belichick accepting the position and had a thought-out response.

“I have a lot of respect for what Coach Belichick has done for the game of football,” Freeman said, “The success he’s had at the NFL level is unprecedented. It’s tremendous for the game of football, period.”

Jan 20, 2019; Kansas City, MO, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) celebrates with coach Bill Belichick after the AFC Championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. The Patriots defeated the Chiefs 37-31 in overtime to advance to fifth Super Bowl in eight seasons. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

“To have somebody that has had that much success in college football in a conference that we obviously play multiple crossover games, it’s amazing,” Freeman said. “He’ll do great things in college the same way he did in the NFL. I look forward to seeing the success of North Carolina and their football program.”

Notre Dame holds a 21-2 all-time advantage head-to-head against North Carolina but with Belichick at the helm, it seems safe to assume wins against the Tar Heels won't be a two-foot-putt in the near future.

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