Can six Super Bowl rings save you from college football chaos? Bill Belichick’s first season at UNC says no. Chapel Hill has spiraled into a season of inconsistency, fan frustration, and even off-field drama. Here, everything but the actual games seems to dominate the conversation. And now, adding to the turbulence, a national reporter has thrown a sharp jab at Belichick over alleged nepotism within his UNC coaching staff.

After five straight losses that buried UNC’s championship hopes, the offense has been the biggest culprit. And while the Tar Heels showed flashes of improvement, averaging 23.5 points during a brief winning stretch after starting with just 13.4 per game, many aren’t buying it. WRAL’s Pat Welter took to X to call out Belichick’s explanation of the team’s progress. “Belichick pushed back on the premise that the offense hasn’t improved at the rate the defense has. Interesting answer, but I think the truth is simple. You have an OC that is likely going to lose this job, a QB coach that’s the son of the GM, and a late QB transfer from S. Alabama.”

That “QB coach that’s the son of the GM” is Matt Lombardi, son of UNC general manager Michael Lombardi, and the focal point of the growing “nepotism” chatter. Despite Matt’s background in the NFL, his impact in Chapel Hill has been underwhelming. On top of that, their QB has shown his fair share of inconsistency all season. Transfer quarterback Gio Lopez, a highly paid NIL athlete, ranks second to last among ACC starters in passing efficiency and dead last in yards per attempt (5.8). With just six touchdowns, five interceptions, and 1,021 passing yards, his performance perfectly mirrors the Tar Heels’ broader inconsistency this season.

Even Belichick acknowledged the uneven play, saying, “Like we had it in the second half, offensively, in the last two games, you know, defensively, we didn’t have it too much in the fourth quarter to, you know, they drove the ball down the field, you know, two times. So I would say there’s just an inconsistency that we just don’t in every area of the game.” UNC’s offense ranks near the bottom nationally in explosive plays, producing only 34 total in their 2-5 start, better than just one Power 4 team, Wisconsin.

Meanwhile, the defense has at least shown signs of stability, ranking 7th in the ACC in yards per play (5.0) and 10th in scoring defense (23.9 points per game). To make matters worse, Belichick’s loyalty to his staff, including OC Freddie Kitchens, who hasn’t called plays since 2021 and never at the college level, is under fire. The whispers of favoritism only grew louder after UNC’s latest recruiting blow.

On top of it, even QB Matt Lombardi couldn‘t do much for Gio Lopez this season despite developing Heisman Trophy finalist Dillon Gabriel last season. Lopez has thrown just 6 TD passes and 5 interceptions for 1,021 yards so far in the season. With these “nepotism” allegations coming in, Bill Belichick also lost a major recruit.

Bill Belichick’s UNC takes a massive recruiting hit

Bill Belichick came to North Carolina with 6 Super Bowls backing him and a challenge to rebuild the program. But less than a year into the role, Belichick’s transition from the NFL to college football turned complex. Now, he’s not just responsible for bringing in new talent but also has to convince parents to choose Chapel Hill for their children’s future.

So, it’s turning into a big mess as UNC ranks 15th nationally in recruiting for the 2026 class, but the momentum took a major hit after OL Mason Wilhelm decommitted from the program after looking at their recent struggles. Their inconsistency and a losing year didn’t just affect current players but future prospects, too. Then came the shocking update when this St. Edward High School’s 6’4″, 290-pound lineman announced his move to the Bucks. “I have decided to decommit from North Carolina and stay home to be a Buckeye! Go Bucks! @ryandaytime,” he said.

Well, can we blame him? Who doesn’t want to be part of the No. 1 team in the nation? Though initially he seemed pretty connected to Bill Belichick and his staff. “I get a text every couple of weeks from either Coach Belichick or Mr. Lombardi… As I said above, I am happily committed to North Carolina. I have zero intentions of visiting any other places,” he said. But a 4-5 season doesn’t promise excellence. Now, if Belichick doesn’t fix his team’s condition, there’s a high chance that he might lose more players in the future.