Patriots Country

Hard Knocks Won’t Feature Patriots Legend Bill Belichick

We won't be seeing former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick light up the small screen after all.
Delilah Bourque|
Jan 11, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots former head coach Bill Belichick looks on duringa press conference at Gillette Stadium to announce Belichick's exit from the team. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Jan 11, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots former head coach Bill Belichick looks on duringa press conference at Gillette Stadium to announce Belichick's exit from the team. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

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New England Patriots

Legendary coach of the New England Patriots Bill Belichick is turning over a new leaf this fall by coaching NCAA football at the helm of the North Carolina Tar Heels. While insiders reported last week that the program would feature on the NFL Films production Hard Knocks: Offseason, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reported early Tuesday morning that the deal is off.

"In a turn of events, UNC football and Bill Belichick will not be participating in Hard Knocks: Offseason after talks break down," Jones wrote on X, formerly known as twitter.

Jones goes on to report that both the team and NFL Films were wrestling for creative control of the series, leading to a breakdown in contract negotiations. When the news was announced, many speculated that HBO and NFL Films could not find a pro team to feature on the show, which spelled disastrous results for the New York Giants, who went 3-14 after they were featured last summer.

This is Belichick's first season coaching UNC, and his first coaching in the NCAA. He is, of course, known for the 24 seasons and six Super Bowl championship rings he earned as head coach of the Patriots. Belichick is also the most successful coach in Patriots history, with a record of 266–121 in his seasons coaching. After a brief retirement and a season spent in and out of ESPN's The Pat McAfee Show, Belichick signed with UNC at the beginning of this year.

While many in the NFL were calling for Belichick to renege on his deal with North Carolina, including his former star signal caller and minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders Tom Brady, Belichick has been firm about his commitment to the Tar Heels.

While Belichick and his new team won't be featured on Hard Knocks, there's clearly a lot going on behind the scenes in Chapel Hill. UNC announced the full coaching line up for the first season of their Belichick era on Monday.

Most notably is the addition of two familiar faces: Belichick's sons Steve and Brian. While Steve is coming from a year as the Washington Commanders' defensive coordinator, Brian Belichick departed the Patriots at the end of January after five years as safeties and defensive backs coach. As part of UNC coaching staff the pair will work in the same roles — though we won't see them on HBO in the fall.

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Delilah Bourque
DELILAH BOURQUE

Delilah Bourque is a writer and copyeditor based out of Pittsburgh, PA. She received her Bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 2021. After a few years in corporate marketing, she joined On SI as a full-time copyeditor and contributor to the New York Yankees On SI, as well as occasional contributions across the Pittsburgh Pirates and Pittsburgh Steelers on SI.

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