The UNC Tar Heels are a fabled name in the collegiate sports paradigm. Their successful tryst at becoming a dynastic program etched in the annals of athletic Americana is widely known and widely revered. However, that status stems from the hardwood, not the gridiron. So when North Carolina football abruptly dismissed their winningest HC Mack Brown, most expected them to pivot. Pivot into chancing their future on a young, up-and-coming coach garnering plaudits somewhere as a coordinator, perhaps. Maybe even lure an established head coach to jump ship. What transpired was unexpected for most. They hired Bill Belichick and, naturally, fans and the media alike were surprised- even skeptical- at the proverbial GOAT taking this perceived step downwards from the NFL. Well, their skepticism may yet be justified.

From the day Bill Belichick set foot in Chapel Hill, there was an underlying belief that he wouldn’t last long there. Not because he’s in over his head or because they’d want rid. But because someone from the rung above may want his services. Before he has even coached a game for them, the sentiment within the masses is that Belichick shall leave UNC if the opportunity arises. A wrinkle in his contract has only fanned the flames of this theory. Belichick’s UNC contract initially had a $10 million buyout, but this was kinda smoke and mirrors. This figure dropped down to a more palpable $1 million on June 1st. Meaning UNC is always going to be at risk of losing him. A prominent FOX analyst reckons an ex-franchise of his will contemplate putting up the million dollars this fall. 

To call Bill Belichick’s contributions to the New England Patriots matchless wouldn’t be hyperbolic. His time in Foxborough petered out towards the end, but the franchise will forever be indebted to their figurehead. But according to Joel Klatt, they’ll soon get a chance to reciprocate his efforts with a favor of their own. College Football savant Klatt took to his namesake YouTube channel to discuss how much pressure there is on Belichick and other head coaches around the sport to deliver results this coming season. He suggests there’s none whatsoever since UNC will just be happy he’s there. Happy to have the newfound hope that comes with a coach of his ilk. But, in a twisted way, Joel Klatt thinks Belichick vicariously puts pressure on one particular NFL HC.

“Guess where the pressure gets ratcheted up? Not in [UNC’s] schedule, but in the Giants’ schedule. The New York Giants. Because the Giants very well could be a really bad team.” remarked Joel Klatt. “Belichick can absolutely pay the $1 million to get out of his contract. So if he, all of a sudden, has an opportunity to go back to the NFL and go back and coach the New York Giants? Where he has a history of, granted, some hard feelings here and there.” he added. Brian Daboll has been under duress for a while and is firmly in sink-or-swim territory. Could their ex-defensive coordinator, Bill Belichick, really be the replacement? Klatt laid out a hypothetical scenario featuring the Patriots as a major player. Using the Giants’ schedule as the premise for this outlandish exercise in “what-ifs.”

“I’m going to go with December 1. The Giants at the Patriots, the last game before the Giants’ bye [week]…Let’s just say,for the sake of argument, the Giants are 2-11 at that point. Do you think Daboll is getting fired? Probably. Right at the end of the college football season, right in a bye week for the Giants. That’s where the pressure is ratcheted up,” resounded Klatt. It’s admittedly hypothetical, but definitely food for thought. Plus, that aforementioned drop in the buy-out clause only fuels this notion. “The [UNC] fanbase is going to feel an immense amount of pressure in that bye week after, potentially, a Monday night victory for the New England Patriots over the New York Giants,” Joel Klatt reiterated. This suggestion of a possible return to the NFL comes days after one of the factors behind Belichick’s initial exit surfaced.

Fresh intel around Bill Belichick’s exit from the Patriots and NFL as a whole

Bill Belichick’s return to coaching, begrudgingly, has been marred by controversy around his personal life. His relationship with 24-year-old Jordon Hudson and the frequent negative offshoots of this relationship has been discussed ad nauseam. Now, it’s been alleged she was directly involved in both the Pats’ decision to let Belichick walk and the rest of the league’s decision to not hire him thereafter.

In a recent podcast with Boston native, ardent Pats fan, and insider Bill Simmons, reporter Pablo Torre shared evidence of Jordon Hudson’s involvement in her beau’s NFL departure. Torre pointed to footage from Gillette Stadium from way back inNovember 2021 that shows Hudson sat at the 50-yard line in Belichick’s reserved seating area. This was a revelation in itself since it wasn’t really known that the couple dated back that long. Torre proceeded to claim teams grew averse to the relationship dynamics and optics, leading to Belichick being slowly phased out.

“Parallel to this, I’ve also heard that by the end, Bill Belichick wasn’t exactly dialed in in the way even people within the Patriots wanted him to be. From above and below,” he said. “This is the story: Bill Belichick got freed from the NFL because he’s been terrible at picking people around him to support him—people who could stand on their own two feet,” Torre remarked, implying what couldn’t be said explicitly. “In fact, they’re like remora fish, just attached to him and his business.” Torre also hinted that the relationship was indeed a deterrent for the Falcons when they were contemplating a hire.

It’s worth pointing out that Pablo Torre and Jordon Hudson have been going back and forth for a minute. Alas, UNC and their fans will hope this discourse can quell. Hope for footballing affairs to take precedence when you think about Bill Belichick. Also hope Joel Klatt’s not proven correct in due course.