Why Belichick, North Carolina Football May Ultimately Fail

Broken promises and constant turnover may lead to Bill Belichick's departure in 2026.

Nov 29, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick walks out before the first half of the game against NC State Wolfpack at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Where were you when you first heard the news that Bill Belichick, the greatest coach in NFL history, was about to embark on a new journey at 72 years old as the new head football coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels?

It is one of the most shocking hires in Tar Heel and college football history. After spending a year in the media, Belichick took the opportunity with a soon-to-be-$48 million operating budget to help North Carolina football become one of the standard-bearers in the sport. Now, two years older, with a healthy budget still intact, things don't look good for Belichick.

UNC football coach Bill Belichick during a press conference ahead of the Tar Heels' first spring practice on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. | Rodd Baxley/The Fayetteville Observer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A 4-8 record, with multiple losses by double-digit scores, a lack of chemistry on the roster, roughly 70 new players, and drama on and off the field for North Carolina led to one of the most disappointing and embarrassing years in the football program's history. In the end, the broken promises may lead to Belichick's departure from the university.

Belichick and North Carolina May Become One of the Biggest Failures in the NIL/Transfer Portal Era

Jan 19, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; TV analyst Bill Belichick watches the Miami Hurricanes play the Indiana Hoosiers during the first half of the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

There are several reasons why Belichick has many doubters heading into the 2026 season. For the second year in a row, there was another shift of new talent across the board, whether on the coaching staff (the notable hire of Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator) or the roster (roughly 50 new players added this offseason).

When you have this many moving parts across consecutive seasons, there are bound to be issues with connection and chemistry amongst coaches and players alike. In some ways, it's hard to blame Belichick and General Manager Michael Lombardi: they are building the program from scratch, and in most cases, that takes time, something they don't have.

Bill Belichick and girlfriend Jordon Hudson on the dirt track before the 2026 Kentucky Oaks race at Churchill Downs on Friday, May 1, 2026 | Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As I mentioned, there was off-field drama that involved Belichick's girlfriend, Jordon Hudson. However, it is not my place to analyze a personal relationship, nor am I a PEOPLE's Magazine writer wanting to invade the space of this specific relationship. The purpose of this piece is to criticize what has gone wrong for North Carolina football, period.

In the NIL era, rebuilding a roster from scratch would work for a Group of Five program, not a school with high expectations in every sport like North Carolina. Talent retention is tough in the NIL and transfer portal times we live in, as Belichick and Lombardi have seen firsthand for the last couple of seasons.

Nov 29, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick addresses the media after the second half of the game against NC State Wolfpack at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Yet, what gets me is the broken promises of UNC football becoming the "33rd franchise" for NFL teams. Zero Tar Heels players were taken this April in the NFL Draft, though a handful landed on teams as camp bodies or for legitimate competition. You don't deserve to be anointed with that title for your program when you couldn't develop a player good enough to be one of 250-plus individuals lucky enough to say they were drafted by the NFL.

You're not Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, Texas A&M, Indiana—schools that were NFL factories this offseason: you're North Carolina, a program that fails to meet its gaudy expectations year in and year out with whoever is the coach. In some cases, this falls on the school administration and the current state of UNC athletics leadership for not going through the proper channels and hiring processes to reach the decision to hire Belichick, though this is a topic for another day.

Belichick May Thrive in 2026, but His Failures Could Become More Obvious

Dec 12, 2024; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels chancellor Lee Roberts, North Carolina Tar Heels new head coach Bill Belichick and athletic director Bubba Cunningham at Loudermilk Center for Excellence. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Belichick and North Carolina may fail because of the constant turnover on his staff and the roster, and another season of bad chemistry and ripped-up promises. Truthfully, I do believe that the Tar Heels will be better in 2026—maybe not 10-wins better, but they were a handful of points away from making a bowl game last year, which drastically changes the tone of Belichick's first season.

One way or another, Belichick will either prove his employers right or wrong this season. Expectations should be much lower than last year, and no one should be surprised if it all comes crashing down. For Tar Heels fans, expect the worst and hope for the best.