Bill Belichick’s first season at North Carolina has been nothing short of a disaster, and the legendary coach is facing questions he probably never imagined answering after winning six Super Bowls with the Patriots. The Tar Heels sit at 2-3 with a 0-3 record against Power Four opponents, getting outscored 120-33 in those games, the worst start against major competition in program history since UNC fielded its first team back in 1888. 

Reports even suggested that Belichick was willing to trigger his own $1 million buyout if a better opportunity came along, and that some of his assistants had already started reaching out to other programs. But Belichick came out swinging at his Monday press conference, shutting down all the noise with zero hesitation. He opened his media availability by addressing the elephant in the room head-on: “That’s just categorically false. There’s no truth to that. I’m glad I’m here.” 

Sources close to the coach told PEOPLE that Belichick was “never looking into buyouts for UNC” and was actually blindsided when the reports surfaced, calling the whole thing “sensational drama.” One source said, “He was just as surprised as everyone when those reports came out,” which either means the rumors were completely fabricated or there’s serious dysfunction between Belichick and UNC’s administration.​ When asked if he believes his process is working despite the brutal results, Belichick doubled down with “100 percent, yeah. It’s a learning curve, but we’re all in this together.” He then laid out his coaching philosophy in classic Belichick fashion, saying, “Everybody’s most interested in the final score, and I’m atop that list … You build a culture, you build a program, and eventually the results will come. Hopefully that’ll happen as soon as possible.” 

The only problem is that words and commitment only go so far when the on-field product is this bad. UNC is ranked 128th in the nation in scoring offense, having scored more than 14 points just once this season. Belichick was famously on record for calling North Carolina “the 33rd NFL franchise” during the off-season. But the grim reality is that no Tom Brady is walking through Carolina’s door. College football is a totally different beast when compared to the NFL.

Moreover, on all that buyout fiasco, ESPN’s Pete Thamel noted that the need for public statements of commitment just five games into the Belichick era is “a warning sign that this is a critical moment.” He warned that by season’s end, either major changes will happen at UNC or Belichick will be looking for an exit. Bill Belichick insists he expects North Carolina to have great success “like everywhere else I’ve been,” but right now that feels like wishful thinking more than reality. The coming weeks will be crucial because if the losses keep piling up, all the public statements in the world won’t save this experiment from imploding.

The roster problem

When reporters asked Bill Belichick if he thinks his staff made any evaluation mistakes that led to this historically bad start, he gave the most Bill Belichick answer imaginable: “We evaluate everything we do on a regular basis,” and “we’re always looking to improve.” Belichick is basically saying that he’s not about to throw anyone under the bus or admit that they whiffed on talent evaluation, even though reports from The Athletic suggest UNC overspent on transfers without properly judging the market or understanding positional value. 

UNC brought in 70 new players, which included 41 transfers, and they still somehow ended up with a roster that cannot compete with any Power Four team. But Belichick did offer one actual explanation for why things went sideways, and it’s not completely without merit. When asked about the roster-building process behind his first team, he said, “When you come in late on the recruiting end and the portal end, we had a better chance in the second portal than the first portal.” Now, that’s a real problem. The UNC team has not been a solid piece of cloth; it’s been stitched together in a rush, and that is reflected in their results. So, will Belichick stay one more year and try to build the program from the ground up? That’s some food for thought.