The chaos surrounding Bill Belichick’s tumultuous first season at North Carolina reached a record high this week. There have been rumors of a potential exit, buyout negotiations, and a lost locker room. But as the noise started to rise, one of Tar Heels’ top recruits decided to step forward with a defiant message.

All of this chaos surrounding Bill Belichick’s future at UNC came to light on Wednesday. Multiple reports started suggesting that the university had held “preliminary conversations” about firing the 73-year-old coach with just five games into his tenure. The reports suggested that North Carolina was looking for ways to either eliminate or reduce Belichick’s massive $20 million buyout by citing alleged NCAA rules violations involving cornerbacks coach Armond Hawkins who was recently suspended.

That’s when Calvin Thomas decided he’d heard enough. The Houston Cy-Ranch linebacker, who committed to North Carolina in July over Nebraska, Texas, Michigan, and SMU, fired off a tweet that immediately went viral.

“The noise dont do anything. NONE OF US GOING ANYWHERE!!! #UNC.” This was an important message that reiterated the stance of the 2026 class about their loyalty to the program and Bill Belichick, even after the 2-3 record and the brewing media firestorm. The No. 27 linebacker has been putting in a strong senior season and clearly sees a future in Chapel Hill.

The rumors got so out of hand that Belichick and Bubba Cunningham had to enter the discussion yesterday. They released a joint statement through UNC’s X handle.

“I’m fully committed to UNC Football and the program we’re building here,” Belichick declared, while Cunningham added that “Coach Belichick has the full support of the Department of Athletics and the University.”

These statements preceded some pretty negative press. Some reports detailed that Belichick was allegedly being “strange” and “distant” with his coaching staff during the bye week. And some of them mentioned that some assistants “could be in new jobs by the time the College Football Playoff begins.” The Tar Heels have been abysmal this season under Bill Belichick. They’ve been outscored by 53 combined points in their last two games, and they currently sit at 128th nationally in points scored per game. Even the diehards left the game midway through the 38-10 demolition against Clemson.

College coaches are watching the downfall

The schadenfreude from Belichick’s coaching peers has been palpable, and nobody’s held back. On The Herd with Colin Cowherd on October 8, the host didn’t pull punches about what’s happening behind closed doors across the sport. “I’ll tell you this. I think college football coaches love that Belichick is doing a belly flop. This thing is a mess,” Cowherd declared.

For years, college coaches endured comparisons to the NFL legend, constantly hearing about how his “Patriot Way” was superior. Now they’re watching him get humbled by the very challenges they’ve been navigating for decades. “And what college football coaches have always said is we’re dealing with 19-year-olds and their parents and donors and boosters and a goofy NCAA. College football coaching, you don’t get vacations,” Cowherd explained, capturing exactly why so many in the profession are quietly satisfied watching this experiment implode.

The fundamental disconnect between NFL coaching and the college game has never been more obvious. Guest Joel Klatt spelled out what Belichick apparently didn’t understand before taking the job: the game has changed.

“It’s also more of a CEO role than it is a head coaching role,” Klatt said. “For instance, right after the season, you got to spend three days meeting with every single player and every single agent and talking about the revenue share, what line of the revenue share you’re going to get.” Belichick might’ve been ultra successful in the NFL, but college football is the farthest thing away from it. You’re not dealing with professionals who have thier life figured out, you’re dealing with teenagers going through the peak of their youth. Dealing with boys is much harder than dealing with grown men.