Bill Belichick’s surprise leap into college football had everyone raising their eyebrows. But it is what it is now that he’s officially North Carolina’s HC. The 72-year-old HC has voiced his desire to create an NFL pipeline in college football and has even brought another coach from the pro level with him to UNC. But in a school with predominantly Black football players, the question still remains—does the NFL prodigy coach have the makeup to get this program going?

In a new YouTube episode on All Facts No Brakes on December 20, 3X Pro Bowler Keyshawn Johnson predicted the biggest challenge that Bill Belichick could face in college football. He said, “His biggest challenge is going to be relating and recruiting and understanding how the recruiting game goes and for him to hire the right people on his staff.” But the former Super Bowl champion also presented a solution to this concern, and it lies in the hiring decision. 

Most of the time, it’s their own kind that communicates best with their own kind. As Keyshawn Johnson said, “I’ve said this and I’ll say it again… He needs to make sure to hire relatable Black coaches to be able to go into communities because your team makeup will be predominantly African-American and you need to be able to talk to the mothers and the daddies and let them know across the country that their kid will be safe with you.”

It’s not difficult to see why parents trust their own people who look like them, speak like them, think like them, dress like them, and share an unseen bond. You know how Deion Sanders didn’t want his sons to go to certain teams? That’s the way it goes. If Belichick wants to establish a connection with the players, he’ll have to hire Black coaches who can also serve as a medium with the players’ families. After all, that’s the first step to building a winning program. Thus, Johnson is justified in his concern for both UNC and their new HC. Can Belichick execute the solution?

Bill Belichick has begun his work at UNC

Bill Belichick has already made moves after joining UNC. To satiate his desire to build an NFL-style office, his first step was to hire NFL coach Michael Lombardi as the Tar Heels’ new general manager. Lombardi has over three decades of experience at the pro level, serving different positions from a scout to director of player personnel. The two coaches also have familiarity with both the Cleveland Browns and the New England Patriots, where they won two Super Bowls together in their latter stint. 

Next is handing the offensive assistant role to Freddie Kitchens. Kitchens began his coaching stint at Glenville State in 1999. He also coached in the NFL from 2006 to 2021 before returning to college football in 2022 with South Carolina. One season later, he moved to North Carolina to become the TE coach and served as their interim HC this season. 

There’s no doubt we’re going to see more transitions in UNC’s coaching staff. Hopefully, Bill Belichick will consider Johnson’s advice for the good of the program.