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Bill Belichick Lets Past Affect the Present

Bill Belichick's time with the New England Patriots has influenced present day.
Sep 1, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick on the sidelines in the first quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Imagesd
Sep 1, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick on the sidelines in the first quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Imagesd | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Once upon a time, Bill Belichick was the head coach of the New England Patriots, leading the franchise to six Super Bowls with the help of quarterback Tom Brady. The Tar Heels, last December, were able to snag the 73-year-old and have him as their next leader of the program, right after Mack Brown's second stint ended, where he was fired.

However, the history of Belichick and Patriots' owner Robert Kraft has begun to surface. Why? UNC's head coach has decided not to allow scouts belonging to New England to be anywhere near the team inside Kenan Stadium or at practices, making the life of his former organization harder.

Bill Belichic
SUPERBOWL SUNDAY in New Orleans, LA. The New England Patriots vs the St. Louis Rams --Coach Bill Belichick talks with Terry Bradshaw as Tom Brady hugs Bob Kraft. | photo by Bob Breidenbach / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Belichick is letting his past affect the present, and it does not make the program or the university look good in any way. If anything, it only tarnishes the reputation and, more importantly, the brand North Carolina holds. How does the team move forward? How will UNC be able to provide opportunities for its players who have NFL skills?

Yes, it's just one team; however, this team may be the only one out of the 32 franchises to be looking at such a player for its roster — that can make or break a player's career. This decision makes the system harder for New England to navigate around the program, all because of a feud that did not even take place in 2025.

Robert Kraf
Jan 11, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft holds a press conference at Gillette Stadium to answer questions about former head coach Bill Belichick's (not pictured) exit from the team. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The Removal of Patriots’ Scouts Does Not Bode Well for the Future

As time progresses, whatever happens over the next few months will be the result of Coach Belichick's decision to remove access for scouts of the Patriots. Nonetheless, it does not have a direct impact on what occurs on the field for the Tar Heels this season, but rather creates "outside noise" that their head coach likes to reference at times.

Interestingly enough, Kraft wants to place a statue of Coach Belichick right beside Brady's outside of Gillette Stadium, home of the Patriots. The two have served as big contributors to the franchise's success despite the debate of whether it was Brady's skills at quarterback or Coach Belichick's coaching job that led to multiple Super Bowl rings.

At the end of the day, it's weird; it's messy, and it alters the way one NFL team goes about gaining insight into UNC's squad.

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Jeremiah Artacho
JEREMIAH ARTACHO

Jeremiah Artacho graduated from DTCC with an associate's degree in journalism and attends UNC now, where he is pursuing his bachelor's in journalism. He brings tremendous experience covering the Tar Heels to his new role as North Carolina Tar Heels Associate Beat Writer on SI.

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