Tar Heels Get First Taste of Belichick as Camp Begins

The North Carolina Tar Heels are getting prepared for their first-ever training camp under Bill Belichick, the six-time Super Bowl winning head coach. It certainly makes for an interesting few weeks. Camp starts Saturday morning,

UNC football coach Bill Belichick speaking with media members at ACC Kickoff, the league's preseason media days, on July 24 in Charlotte. | Rodd Baxley/The Fayetteville Observer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After all of the talk, all of the speculation, it is time to start fall training camp and let head coach Bill Belichick do what he does best. He is going to turn the North Carolina Tar Heels into winners.

It has been a long eight months since Belichick was hired. He has done an awesome job working the transfer portal. He is also doing well in high school recruiting this cycle.

Now, the proof is in the pudding. We see what Belichick can do with quarterback Gio Lopez and the rest of the squad.

The Tar Heels and Belichick open fall practice Saturday morning.

Sep 28, 2024; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; South Alabama Jaguars quarterback Gio Lopez (7) rolls out against the LSU Tigers during the second quarter at Tiger Stadium. | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

“After all the talk about getting ready for football season, I know Coach Belichick is eager to get out and actually play some football,” UNC Chancellor Lee Roberts said. “And we’re all excited to see it.”

North Carolina went 6-7 last season, Mack Brown's final year as head coach. That type of record is unacceptable in Chapel Bill, in any sport.

Belichick, a six-time Super Bowl winner as coach of the New England Patriots, relied on general manager Michael Lombardi to transform the roster into players that fill the Belichick system. Lombardi and Belichick worked together with the Cleveland Browns, many moons ago.

Upon information and belief the Tar Heels have 70 new players, according to Belichick. They have 30 freshmen and 40 transfers. When you have that kind of turnover, anything can happen.

Sep 21, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Northwestern Wildcats wide receiver Calvin Johnson II (7) drops a pass while under coverage from Washington Huskies cornerback Thaddeus Dixon (9) during the third quarter at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

“You can expect a tough, smart, dependable team, a team that communicates a lot, a team that's well put together, well driven, a team with a chip on their shoulder,” said senior defensive back Thaddeus Dixon, who transferred from Washington. “Honestly, everybody’s got something to prove. Everybody is trying to get somewhere.”

UNC was predicted to finish eighth in the ACC out of 17 teams. This was based on the preseason media poll. For further disrespect, the Tar Heels placed no players on the league's All-ACC teams. It will be up to Belichick, who has his son Brian coaching in the secondary, while his son Steve came over as the new defensive coordinator. Steve and Brian have to instill the Belichick way in this team, in a hurry.

“It’s a little bit of a challenge,” Belichick said. “Certainly we’ll have team-building activities and things like that where you kind of get to know your teammates and build some camaraderie and trust. But on the field, it comes from earning that trust from your teammates and being dependable, being where you’re supposed to be so they can be where they’re supposed to be, having good communication, working together. 

“A little bit like a military boot camp or training camp where you learn to work with your teammates pretty quickly or somebody else is working with them.”

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