Paul Finebaum Throws Mack Brown Under the Bus in Blunt Forecast of Bill Belichick’s UNC Season

You’ve heard of “The Process.” You’ve heard of “Do Your Job.” But are you ready for “Belichick Blue” or maybe “Chapel Bill?” Because that’s what’s brewing down in Chapel Hill. Bill Belichick, the man who turned the Patriots into a dynasty, now has to navigate through the alleys and valleys of coaching the Tar Heels. And while college football has seen its fair share of head-scratching coaching hires, this one might just take a little while to get used to. 

Now don’t get it twisted. Belichick is doing great. He’s here to win, again. But that’s the kicker. Can he win in college? The last time Bill had to charm a young athlete was probably when he was negotiating with Tom Brady’s replacement, and even that didn’t go great. But this time it’s about high schoolers, five-star wideouts who care more about drip than depth charts, and boosters who want results yesterday. The transition from Foxborough to Franklin Street? That’s hard, man.

Enter Paul Finebaum, who never misses a beat when there’s drama cooking. And with Belichick at UNC, ESPN’s favorite talker couldn’t resist. He was talking about the top 3 CFB stories this season, and what he said will blow your mind. He started by saying, “There’s Bill Belichick. Anybody heard of this guy? He’s only the most famous NFL coach of all time this side of Vince Lombardi. This is great, the praise and the classic Belichick introduction.

But what came next was, um, what can we say, you read it yourself. He said, “But lately he’s played second fiddle to uh… his girlfriend.” Yeah, he went there. “And that is a story that really is intriguing everyone. How does he do on the field? Mack Brown did not leave a great cupboard in Chapel Hill.” No lies there. UNC’s roster is thinner than an NIL budget at a D-II school courtesy of Mack Brown. But darn it, man! Paul went ‘there.’ Bill Belichick has been trending for ages now (get it?) thanks to his girlfriend, Jordan Hudson. And that has been the talk of the town. 

But Finebaum did stop with the jokes and raised the real football question. “I think Belichick has recruited well. Can he navigate the nuances of college football? That is really the question.” It’s one thing to design a defense to stop Patrick Mahomes. It’s another to manage 19-year-olds juggling classes, TikTok, and weekend parties while learning the 3-4 scheme. But you know what? That challenge might just wake the old mastermind up. After years of press conference grunts and hoodie weather, Belichick has to flash charisma and close visits. If anyone can adapt, it might be the man who once turned Julian Edelman from QB to Super Bowl MVP as a receiver.

So, will it work? Will Belichick carve out a second act in college ball, or will the sport chew him up like so many NFL-to-NCAA experiments before him? All eyes will be on Chapel Hill this fall, and you better believe every snap, every quote, and every sideline death stare will be magnified. If you’re a North Carolina fan, buckle up. And if you’re a college football fan in general? This is going to be pure chaos, and we’re so here for it.

Reading the tea leaves in Chapel Hill

If you needed any more proof that Bill Belichick doesn’t do anything by accident, even in his new college gig, just look at who UNC’s bringing to ACC Media Day. The Tar Heels named their four player reps: DB Thad Dixon, S Will Hardy, WR Jordan Shipp… and quarterback Gio Lopez. No Max Johnson. No ‘let’s take both and play coy.’ Just Lopez. And if you’ve watched college football long enough, you know exactly what that means. You don’t parade one QB out for media day unless he’s the guy or you want the world to think he’s the guy. In Belichickian terms, that’s basically a decision made already.

And this lines up with everything we just broke down about Belichick’s first year in college. Navigating a roster with holes, trying to build a culture, and, most importantly, establishing a tone. Gio Lopez, being the lone quarterback at media day, gives us the idea about who’s already won the locker room, earned the NIL dollars, and showed up big in offseason reps. Remember, Belichick might be a newcomer to the college game, but he’s not new to managing quarterbacks. If he thinks the job’s done and dusted before fall camp, he’s either supremely confident in Lopez or done waiting on Max Johnson’s recovery to catch up.

It’s a gutsy call, no doubt. Johnson has SEC starts under his belt and NFL pedigree in his veins. But Belichick’s playing his version of chess again, only this time with boosters, eligibility clocks, and 19-year-old egos. If Lopez is QB1, it means the Tar Heels are officially all-in on the South Alabama transfer, and that Belichick’s rebuild is moving faster than people expected. Whether this move pays off in Week 1 or blows up like a botched two-minute drill, one thing’s clear: the man in the hoodie is as mysterious as ever.