Bill Belichick came to UNC to lead the program to glory. He said in an interview with Pat McAfee. From the onset, the former Patriots head coach has been hell-bent on converting the program into “a pipeline to the NFL for the players that had the ability to play in the NFL.” How do you do it? By creating a professional program with “training, nutrition, scheme, coaching, and techniques that would transfer to the NFL.” Of course, the future is looking very bright for the Tar Heels now. This is evident from his recent additions.

Belichick has completely overhauled his coaching staff and support staff. In a way, he is starting with a clean slate. His hirings remind us of his legendary status that he is trying to replicate at the college level too. For instance, take his hiring of Bob Diaco, who is one of the best in the business and has had an illustrious career in coaching defense since 1996. But, most of all, his staff addition of Steve Belichick (his son) as defensive coordinator is turning heads. And here’s why.

Steve Belichick is known for supporting his father in his coaching for almost a decade. He held different positions, ranging from defensive assistant to safeties coach at the New England Patriots. But he left the team with his father in 2023 and joined the Washington Huskies as defensive coordinator, serving there for 1 year. Now, with his father at Tar Heels, he decided to come to North Carolina as DC. However, the major question that is starting to surround his hiring is: Will he be able to succeed and lead the Tar Heels to their former glory?

Blake Refino and Joe Deleono have highlighted his potential legacy going forward at UNC. “We’re already hearing Steve Belichick had a big impact on the UNC and why they were doing it. I mean, Steve’s going to be fired right alongside his dad, but if everything starts going hunky-dory and Steve is the main reason, it doesn’t matter. He’s the next in line here, so it’s right the succession plan is perfect if we already start creating the propaganda now exactly.” Well, his hiring will certainly pave the way for him to be the next head coach at UNC if his father delivers on his promise. This is also because of the talent he possesses. For context, hear this.

In his 1 year at Huskies, he had performed quite well and delivered some very good stats over the course of the 2024 season. For instance, his defense against passing offense was so formidable that the Huskies allowed the least passing yards in their conference. Their rushing yards allowed also greatly decreased. They allowed 406.7 yards (per game) in 2023 when they were in the Pac-12. But, in 2024, they improved under Steve and limited the total yards to 328.4 yards per game. This was a major achievement since they had made the transition to the Big 10, and their new head coach, Jedd Fisch, inherited a weak squad compared to 2023. Moreover, Steve also has a very experienced man, other than his father, at his camp. Who is committed to making UNC a ‘winning program? Let’s see the plan ahead.

Tar Heels’ new GM the secret of their success?

Well, he is none other than their new GM, Michael Lombardi. He has vast experience on his resume and has served as GM at the Cleveland Browns and later was with Belichick at the Patriots as assistant to the coaching staff. The question is, why does Belichick need Lombardi at all?

Belichick’s legendary status is something of a stated fact. Still, he doesn’t have experience working at the level of college football. So, he will need someone to manage the whole recruiting process, wading through the NIL cesspool and tackling NCAA regulations. Michael Lombardi, in that aspect, fits best for the job. The fact is that he is also loving his time and environment at UNC, as he said in a recent statement.

“First of all, I think the people in Chapel Hill are incredibly friendly, and I don’t say that lightly,” Lombardi said. “I know I’m a New Jersey guy, and we’re used to being treated rudely, but nobody’s honked a horn at me, which is rare.” Such is the environment at Chapel Hill that Lombardi has become a fan of UNC, as he praised the program for their grace and openness. This does mean that pressure will be quite eased up for Bill Belichick too, who has signed a five-year contract worth $50 million.

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