Paul Finebaum Takes Brutal Shot at Major College Football Coach Over Staff Concerns

The North Carolina Tar Heels were one of the biggest storylines heading into the 2025 college football season.

Bill Belichick's First Year Was a Disaster

That was due to hiring legendary NFL head coach Bill Belichick. The former New England Patriots head coach had an incredible run in the NFL. He finished with a record of 302-165. He won a total of eight Super Bowls, six as a head coach and two as a defensive coordinator. He took his first stab in the college ranks, and things didn't go as planned.

The Tar Heels went 4-8 last season, but the story wasn't just the eight losses; it was how they lost those games. Four of those losses were by 20 or more points, and five were by double digits, meaning they weren't competitive in a lot of those games.

That has to change, and it doesn't help that there have been some staff concerns. General manager Michael Lombardi was put on paid administrative leave back in July. Also, Belichick's son, Steve Belichick, is on medical leave and hasn't been around the program in over a month. That means the team is without its defensive coordinator.

North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick talks with the media during interviews. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Paul Finebaum Takes Jab at Belichick Amid North Carolina Concerns

ESPN's Paul Finebaum decided to take a jab at Belichick at North Carolina on "The Paul Finebaum Show."

"Nothing speaks more about where college football is than watching Bill Belichick on the sidelines of North Carolina," Finebaum said. "I worry not so much about the 50 freshmen that he has on the team, but is his coaching staff intact because every day someone else seems to be going on leave. When he (Bobby Petrino) gets the highest grade on the staff from the HR department, you've got a problem."

Belichick Has Plenty to Prove After Disappointing Debut at North Carolina

Belichick's reputation gives North Carolina plenty of attention, but that reputation can't substitute for results. After a 4-8 debut that featured several lopsided losses, the Tar Heels need to show meaningful progress in Year 2.

Finebaum's criticism ultimately points to a larger question surrounding the program: Can Belichick bring the structure and stability that made him so successful in the NFL to the rapidly changing college game? How North Carolina responds in 2026 will go a long way toward determining whether Belichick's college experiment has a future or becomes a short-lived chapter in his legendary career.

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