College Football HQ

Calls mount for North Carolina to fire Bill Belichick after Saturday's game

Joe Cox|
Beleaguered UNC coach Bill Belichick might be an NFL legend, but after less than a full season, he's facing increasing calls for his job.
Beleaguered UNC coach Bill Belichick might be an NFL legend, but after less than a full season, he's facing increasing calls for his job. | Rodd Baxley/The Fayetteville Observer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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North Carolina Tar Heels

Football is an unforgiving business, and the story of Bill Belichick is excellent proof. Belichick was the subject of massive excitement a season ago as the retired NFL boss and winner of six Super Bowls took the North Carolina job. Forward to a 4-7 season in progress and many UNC fans have seen enough.

After a 32-25 loss to Duke clinched a losing season and a year without a bowl appearance, many Tar Heel fans took to social media to vent their displeasure on the Belichick coaching era.

Fan takes on Belichick

UNC's struggles

North Carolina turned to Bill Belichick after veteran coach Mack Brown struggled at UNC. That said, in retrospect, Brown's nine win season in 2022 and pair of eight-win seasons might look better now than the did when the Tar Heels cut him loose. After all, North Carolina at least made a bowl game in every season under Brown.

Admittedly, North Carolina hasn't won 10 games since 2015 under Larry Fedora and hasn't finished a season in the top 10 since 1997. The Tar Heel program had its fair share of issues, but the idea of hiring one of the most experienced winners in football history and throwing resources at the program has provided surprising scant returns.

Belichick's salary

One of the notes of angst with Belichick concerns salary. Yes, that $10 million figure thrown around seems to be accurate. Belichick was signed to a five-year deal, but his first season at Carolina has been so disastrous that at times, it has seemed uncertain that he would last the year. At the current rate of return, a final result of $2 million to $2.5 million per win (depending on Carolina's regular season finale) is certainly a poor rate of return.

Off-field awkwardness

Belichick landed in the news before any games were played because of his unconventional relationship with girlfriend Jordon Hudson. Hudson, who is 24 years old (Belichick is 73) has been criticized for seemingly exerting an unusually large circle of influence around Belichick, with an awkward TV appearance seemingly confirming issues in her access to Belichick. Another concerning point of UNC's season came early when plans for an HBO filming of Hard Knocks were scuttled after they had initially been reported.

In any case, North Carolina fans would not be disappointed if earlier rumors came to fruition that Belichick might trigger his buyout himself to merely get out of the contract. After 11 games, Belichick's status as arguably the best football coach ever isn't enough to keep UNC fans on board.

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Joe Cox
JOE COX

Joe is a journalist and writer who covers college and professional sports. He has written or co-written over a dozen sports books, including several regional best sellers. His last book, A Fine Team Man, is about Jackie Robinson and the lives he changed. Joe has been a guest on MLB Network, the Paul Finebaum show and numerous other television and radio shows. He has been inside MLB dugouts, covered bowl games and conference tournaments with Saturday Down South and still loves telling the stories of sports past and present.

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