Is Bill Belichick cut out for college football? Ask Colin Cowherd that and you will get a harsh no. Back in January, he threw cold water on the idea of the NFL’s most decorated coach suddenly morphing into Mr. NIL. “Bill Belichick is a pro coach,” he said. “He is much more ROTC than NIL. He is right, he doesn’t pander. He doesn’t have time for small talk and that’s what college football is.” Colin is being proven right. That 48-14 dismal opener against TCU was a bad omen for the season ahead. Now Colin is back to linking the UNC HC’s future right back to the NFL. 

In a new episode on The Colin Cowherd Podcast on September 9, when John Middlekauff teased the idea of a new HC to replace Mike McDaniel, Colin jumped straight to the point. “Listen, what about Belichick?” he teased. “Got a place in Jupiter, doesn’t he? I mean, Miami loves sex appeal. All their teams do. I will tell you this. I don’t think he’s built for college. I said this before. I mean, he and Mike Lombardi, they’re NFL guys. I mean, he can’t draft. How can he recruit? I don’t know.” Miami is already looking like a team desperate for a facelift. 

After a humiliating 33-8 loss to the Colts, Mike McDaniel’s stock is sinking. Meanwhile Belichick just notched his first win as a college coach. North Carolina rebounded from a sloppy opener to beat Charlotte 20-3, giving him career victory No. 334. But while Tar Heel blue suits him fine for now, the NFL spotlight never strays too far from his shadow. And Miami, valued at a whopping $8.25 billion per CBS Sports, has the kind of platform that could lure him back.

What makes this marriage even juicier? Revenge. Bill Belichick spent two decades breaking Miami’s heart from Foxborough. Now picture him twice a year staring down the same Patriots program that decided to let him go. As John Middlekauff put it, “Bill would have to be pretty intrigued if the owner wanted him because he’d get to play the Patriots, right?” he said. “He clearly despises. So, yeah, maybe I just think he’s going to go after a big name.” And while speculation swirls about Belichick’s next move, his shadow still looms large over New England.

Bill Belichick and Mike Vrabel exchange 

Mike Vrabel’s Patriots debut was rough. A 20-13 home loss to the Raiders. In less than 24 hours, the spotlight shifted to Belichick. The former Patriots coach has made it clear he’s still calling the shots when it comes to controlling who sees what at North Carolina. He barred any Patriots scouts from entering Tar Heels facilities or games, revealing a statement. “It’s clear that I’m not welcome there around their facility,” he said post-game. “And so they’re not welcome at ours. It’s pretty simple.”

The message was unmistakable. Mike Vrabel tried to navigate the minefield during his Monday media session, deflecting questions with careful diplomacy. “Bill came back for, to the best of my knowledge, Tom’s ceremony,” he said, referring to Tom Brady’s Patriots Hall of Fame induction.

Bill Belichick attended, gave a speech, and showed that he can be gracious, but only on his terms. “So I guess he’s welcomed back based on the fact he was there,” Vrabel added. And while he remains polite publicly, the competitive edge that once defined Patriots dominance now exists in a gray area. The NFL world will be shocked if Belichick decided to come back to the pro game, especially if it is on a division rival’s team.