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Bill Belichick certainly didn’t envision a world where he would have to release a statement along with UNC saying he remains fully committed to the college football program just five games into his tenure.
Alas, that’s the rollercoaster ride he and the rest of the Tar Heels have been on this season.
Belichick’s first crack at being a head coach in college football has seen a 2-3 record with several blowout losses, rumors that the university is already considering his buyout and drama on and off the field.
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North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick watches from the sidelines during the first half of an NCAA football game against Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. (Nell Redmond/AP Photo)
While Belichick maintained that he is “fully committed to UNC Football and the program we’re building here,” one of his former NFL players isn’t at all surprised by what’s happening in Chapel Hill.
“I’m not surprised, and I’m only saying it for this simple fact: Bill Belichick has never been a college football coach before,” Damien Harris, the former New England Patriots running back and current college football analyst, told Pakinomist Digital while highlighting his partnership with Dr. Pepper. “He’s the best coach ever in the NFL. Respect. I tip my hat to him. I played for him, I believe in that and I respect that. That doesn’t mean you can come up and go to the college level and have the same success.
BILL BELICHICK ADMITS ‘FULL COMMITMENT’ TO NORTH CAROLINA FOOTBALL DESPITE divisive rumors
“When you see a lot of NFL coaches go to college, they usually take coordinator jobs because they have a higher level of X’s and O’s thinking than most college coaches or college football players have. But going from head coach to head coach and then you have to worry about all those other things.”
It’s true that the college game compared to the NFL is a completely different beast. The X’s and O’s that Harris mentions may be the same, but a college head coach has more responsibilities outside of the film room and meeting rooms.
Given that Harris spent his rookie contract in New England under Belichick as the team’s third-round pick out of Alabama in 2019, he knows better than most that the new leader in Chapel Hill isn’t comfortable with these “distractions,” which include a very public relationship with 24-year-old Jordon Hudson.
“I just thought about it, based on my experience with Bill and how much he doesn’t care about anything that doesn’t involve winning football games,” Harris explained. “Thinking about [how] he has to go out and recruit. He has to go out, he has to have politics. He’s got a new relationship now where I’m sure he’s happy, but it can be a distraction now that he’s watching tape, watching film and being as sharp as he usually is.”
North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson look on prior to the game against the Richmond Spiders at Kenan Memorial Stadium on September 13, 2025 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Lance King/Getty Images)
Harris pointed to his belief that the “ideal” path for NFL coaches to the college level is in the coordinator field, just like Matt Patricia is with the Ohio State Buckeyes right now. Patricia, who worked under Belichick for years in multiple roles with the Patriots, ended up getting a crack at being an NFL head coach with the Detroit Lions, which didn’t work out.
Patricia ended up back with the Patriots and eventually the Philadelphia Eagles before Ryan Day hired him as the team’s defensive coordinator this season. The Buckeyes have the No. 1 defense in the country now.
It may be ideal, but Belichick never wanted to be a coordinator. He was looking for a head coaching job in the NFL following his departure from the Patriots after 23 seasons leading them as head coach. He was in the media all last season while still searching for the next opportunity.
Although it didn’t pan out in the NFL, the UNC job was offered and he ran with it. But Harris didn’t see his old coach hit the ground running and take the Tar Heels to the next level.
This is a completely different game and maybe a Belichick isn’t fit for the long term.
“When you factor in all those things, I can honestly say I’m not surprised,” Harris concluded. “Not because I thought Bill was a bad coach, not because I didn’t think he could do it. I just saw, again, because I played the college game, and it’s a lot different now than it was then, that there are more responsibilities that he had to take care of that he normally doesn’t because it’s a distraction from the game of football itself.”
New North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick speaks to the media at the Loudermilk Center for Excellence. (Jim Dedmon/Imagn Images)
FUEL RIVALS
While Harris provides fine analysis of Belichick and the rest of the college game throughout the season, he is fully invested in his No. 6 Crimson Tide, especially this week as they host No. 11 Tennessee in Tuscaloosa.
Dr. Pepper is hosting a special game day event to debut “The Pepper Portal,” a first-of-its-kind fan experience that connects rival college towns before the big game. Harris will represent the Crimson Tide, while current Patriots quarterback Josh Dobbs, a former Volunteers signal caller, will be on the road with him.
These two will engage with fans through the Pepper portal, meet local NIL talent on-site and share their thoughts on who will win on Saturday night.
