Bill Belichick Rebuild Targets Clear Turning Point at UNC

The North Carolina Tar Heels were perhaps the most underwhelming team in college football last season, and they’ll be looking to fix that for the 2026 campaign.

Expectations were set rather high before the 2025 season, largely thanks to the fact that the Tar Heels brought in NFL head coaching legend Bill Belichick as the next man to lead their program in a stunning move. After having one of the most successful head coaching careers in NFL history, surely he would be able to handle the college landscape, right?

UNC Last Season

Nov 29, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick on the sideline during the first half of the game against NC State Wolfpack at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Well, not exactly. The Tar Heels managed just a 4-8 record with Belichick at the helm last season. North Carolina struggled mightily on both sides of the ball last season and was consistently one of the worst teams in the ACC despite lofty expectations coming into the season.

Additionally, there was way too much unnecessary noise surrounding Belichick throughout the season. Rather than the focus being on the performance his team put on the field, a lot of attention went towards his off-the-field relationships, his job security at UNC, and his snubbing from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Nov 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick watches play during the first half at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Now heading into year 2, the Tar Heels will have a lot of pressure on them to get back on track after a disappointing 2025 season. CBS’s Brad Crawford predicts that they will improve, projecting a 6-6 record for the Tar Heels in the 2026 season.

UNC Predicted to Improve

“After last season's failure to launch in Bill Belichick's first campaign, simply getting the Tar Heels back to bowl eligibility would represent tangible progress in this staff's second year,” he said.

“North Carolina's hire of Bobby Petrino to reconfigure the offense and improve execution will help a program that is still trying to establish the discipline, toughness and consistency Belichick has demanded since arriving in Chapel Hill. Rebuilding a culture takes time, particularly in today's transfer portal era. If North Carolina is more competitive in big games, avoids the self-inflicted mistakes that plagued last season and finishes strong, a six-win season becomes a foundation instead of a failure.”

UNC — Bill Belichick | Jackson McCurdy, North Carolina Tar Heels On SI

This projection feels fair for the Tar Heels. Now that Belichick has gotten a taste of the college football landscape, he has no excuses not to at least get the Tar Heels back to a bowl game.

While no one is expecting them to compete for the ACC title or a national championship, an improvement from last season’s disaster would be considered a success.

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