Bill Belichick is out there walking on glass with his coaching gig at UNC. It all started when Belichick’s UNC staff broke his strict rule not to post anything about the Patriots because of his feud with them. It happened when former Tar Heel star Drake Maye got his prime-time win against the Buffalo Bills. That’s when UNC’s X account celebrated their former hero’s win at the pros. Adding more fuel to the fire, UNC’s Hulu docuseries about Belichick’s first season got abruptly canceled.
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The decision came amid widespread reports of chaos and dysfunction within the program. With all this going on in Chapel Hill, the real reason comes to light when the presence of a ‘mole’ in the system raises a lot of eyebrows. “Continuing to reach out to sources about what’s going on inside the Belichick program,” Pat Welter of Wral writes on X. “Some now are feeling reluctant to share new information as internally the Belichick staff is trying to find the leak. But between @wral and national reports, the ‘leak’ is far from a few people.”
Continuing to reach out to sources about what’s going on inside the Belichick program. Some now are feeling reluctant to share new information as internally the Belichick staff is trying to find the leak. But between @wral and national reports the “leak” is far from a few people
— Pat Welter WRAL (@PatrickWelter) October 8, 2025
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Amid all this, Belichick’s squad is cruising with a disastrous 2-3 record, which just makes the matter worse. One of the latest blows came when UNC suspended cornerbacks coach Armond Hawkins for allegedly handing out extra benefits, like sideline passes for family members. And guess what? Belichick-recruited transfers like Khmori House and Thaddeus Dixon are the ones enjoying these benefits. Preferential treatment has fueled resentment, with some recruits getting perks like better parking and extra tickets. Dixon’s family even enjoys field access on game days, a perk that others don’t get, stirring resentment among players.
Then the communication level finds new lows. Players and their parents are left in the dark. “There’s been no communication with coaches and parents, period,” a parent of a current UNC player said. “None, zero, zilch. Not one email from a coach, one text, phone call, nothing.” Now these situations are facing a startling difference from Mack Brown’s time at Chapel Hill. Some players who remained loyal to UNC after Brown’s firing reportedly avoided Belichick for weeks. To make things even worse, the new coach told the parents to stay away until the “Practice Like a Pro” spring game.
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One parent even called out these issues to WRAL, saying it’s an “unstructured mess.” The parent even added, “There’s no culture, no organization. It’s a complete disaster. I don’t fault the players; I fault the leadership that created this toxic environment.” Now that’s a major backlash for Bill Belichick, who was riding high the whole offseason with a $50M chip on his shoulder and the ‘so-called’ vision of the 33rd NFL team.
$10 million a year for what exactly?
The complaints against Bill Belichick’s system led to UNC taking a serious hit on its dignity. UNC thought dropping Mack Brown and bringing in NFL legend Belichick would flip the script overnight. But it didn’t. Instead, the Tar Heels have stumbled through the season with a rough 2-3 record. The offseason had immense expectations with 70 recruits and transfers. But it all came crashing down.
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On top of that, Belichick’s tremendous contract makes the current situation look even worse. It states $50 million guaranteed over at least three years, including a massive annual payout of $10 million, regardless of the results. That kind of money in college football is rare. Even Mack Brown was let go with a $2.8 million buyout, a fraction of what UNC is paying now.
Critics ask if UNC is just cashing out their resources just because a coach has an NFL pedigree? Because if that’s the case, then it looks like a costly gamble gone wrong. On top of that, the whole hiring process hasn’t helped UNC’s image either. There were serious allegations about secret meetings and illegal hiring that have stirred immense controversy off the field. Meanwhile, the on-field product has shown a ragtag team struggling against legitimate FBS teams, barely managing to win against FCS opponents.
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