Bill Belichick has nothing, and everything, to prove

Bill Belichick has nothing left to prove in the game of football.

But Tuesday night in Chapel Hill, Bill Belichick has everything to prove.

Belichick’s football resume speaks for itself. He was part of eight different Super Bowl winners, two as an assistant coach with the New York Giants and six as a head coach with the New England Patriots. During his time in Foxborough he built two different dynasties: First, the team that won Super Bowls XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX, and then the team that won Super Bowls XLIX, LI, and LIII. He has a game plan used by the Giants to slow down Jim Kelly and the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXV that is literally in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the head coach is sure to join that game plan in Canton when he is eligible next year.

Yet, one thing Belichick has not done in the game is win at the collegiate level. He takes his first steps towards changing that tonight as the first-year head coach at North Carolina, when the Tar Heels host TCU in their season opener.

And he will take those steps with some of the brightest lights in the sports world upon him.

Following his separation from the Patriots after the 2023 season, Belichick was considered a favorite for several head coaching jobs in the NFL. But after interviews with the Atlanta Falcons, Arthur Blank went in a different direction, and the legendary head coach spent a year on the sidelines.

Then came the surprise of all surprises. In December of 2024, North Carolina named Belichick their next head coach. For Belichick, it was a homecoming of sorts. His father, Steve, was an assistant with the Tar Heels from 1953 through 1955, and in the school’s announcement, they pointed to the young Belichick attending “team meetings and film sessions with his father” at Chapel Hill.

Belichick “knew how to diagram complex plays before he became a teenager and credits his dad for teaching him the details of football at a young age.”

“I am excited for the opportunity at UNC-Chapel Hill. I grew up around college football with my Dad and treasured those times. I have always wanted to coach in college and now I look forward to building the football program in Chapel Hill,” said Belichick in the announcement.

“We know that college athletics is changing, and those changes require new and innovative thinking. Bill Belichick is a football legend, and hiring him to lead our program represents a new approach that will ensure Carolina football can evolve, compete and win -- today and in the future,” said Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham. “At Carolina, we believe in providing championship opportunities and the best experience possible for our student-athletes, and Coach Belichick shares that commitment. We are excited to welcome him to Chapel Hill.”

Yet, Belichick’s tenure has been followed intently, for reasons that go beyond that football resume. The wave of hires made following his announcement read like a “who’s who” of Belichick confidants. Michael Lombardi, who was an assistant under Belichick during the Patriots’ second dynasty, came on as UNC’s general manager. Lombardi’s son Matt was hired as the quarterbacks coach. Belichick’s sons Steve and Brian took roles on the defensive staff, with Steve as the defensive coordinator/linebackers coach and Brian as the defensive backs/safeties coach. Former Patriots linebacker Jamie Collins, who played under Belichick, handles the inside linebackers. Filling out a staff with NFL ties might look good on paper -- as well as in the living rooms you encounter on the recruiting trail -- but it is not always a recipe for success in the college game.

Then there is another angle to Belichick’s return to the game. His relationship with his partner, Jordon Hudson. Questions about her role in the program, which intensified after she interjected during a CBS interview when Belichick was asked how they met, have followed the program since Belichick’s hire.

All of this anticipation and excitement will reach a crescendo in Chapel Hill when Belichick and the Tar Heels take the field for his first game on a collegiate sideline. Some of the most recognizable faces in UNC sports history are expected back on campus tonight, from Lawrence Taylor to Mia Hamm, Julius Peppers, and yes, Michael Jordon.

“Hard to quantify the buzz here in Chapel Hill,” wrote Pete Thamel on social media Monday morning.

Belichick has already proven that he can bring buzz to Chapel Hill, but can that buzz translate to wins? Can the legendary NFL coach deliver a new dawn for UNC football, and do for the Tar Heels what he did for the Patriots? Can this NFL lifer succeed at the college game?

Can the coach who has nothing left to prove in football prove one more thing in the game he has given his life to?