Former Super Bowl-Winning Head Coach Firmly On Hot Seat In 2026

One of the most surprising coaching hires in the history of college football was when the North Carolina Tar Heels elected to hire eight-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick before last season.

The long-time New England Patriots head coach won six Super Bowls with the Patriots as the head coach, and also won two others with the New York Giants as the defensive coordinator. He went 302-165 in his career, making him one of the winningest coaches in NFL history.

The hope was that Belichick would be able to bring that expertise to the Tar Heels and bring the program back. But things did not go well in Chapel Hill in 2025. North Carolina went 4-8, with five of those losses coming by double figures. Three of those were by 20 points or more.

North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick watches play during the first half. | William Howard-Imagn Images

Due to that poor season, "The Film Guy Network" host Brooks Austin said that he thinks Belichick is on the hot seat entering 2026.

"Here's why Bill Belichick's already under a hot seat," Austin said.

"Okay. because he put the timeline on himself inside that contract: within three years, if it does not work, he's either leaving, and if it does work, he's giving it to his son. So, we have condensed our window so much. And, Jonathan, it was atrocious last year. It was way bad."

It's been quite the fall for Belichick. He is arguably the greatest coach in NFL history, but ended his tenure with the Patriots with three losing seasons in four years, including a 4-13 record in his final season.

Then he comes to North Carolina, hoping for a fresh start, and has another poor showing.

That's why it feels like the 2026 season is massive, not just for his psyche but the perception about him as a coach. He needs to bounce back and show that he can still coach and coach at a high level.

That doesn't mean he needs to turn the Tar Heels into a national championship contender, but he does need to improve them to be a more competitive team.

Because Austin is right, Belichick's three-year timeline, he's already put the pressure on himself. Also, if he wants to set his son, Steve Belichick, up to be a head coach, he needs to have success so the Tar Heels are comfortable making him the new coach.

So, the clock is ticking on someone who was once perceived as the best the game has seen.

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