Bill Belichick’s first season as North Carolina’s head coach did not go as well as anyone affiliated with the university would have liked, with the program finishing 4-8 in 2025.
But Belichick, winner of six Super Bowls as an NFL HC, said this week that things are looking up for the Tar Heels in 2026.
“Overall as a football team, our culture, our program, our ability to operate as a team is much higher than it was a year ago,” Belichick said Friday, via Pete Thamel of ESPN, “and our talent level is higher.”
Belichick added that the program is “way ahead” of where it was a year ago, noting the difference is “night and day.”
Belichick also feels positively about the program’s recruiting class, as he was able to bring in 20 portal players and 40 incoming freshmen.
“Most of the national publications … ranked us in the top 15 in your recruiting class,” Belichick said. “So I think if you recruit good players, you’re going to have good teams. If you don’t recruit good players, then you’re probably going to have a hard time breaking into that level. So I think we have to consistently bring in good players, continue to work hard, improve and develop them. And I’m confident that we’ll be there. It’s a process.”
The talent level was an issue for UNC in 2025, with Belichick noting that no players from the team were drafted and only two players who were eligible are still on an NFL offseason roster.
“It gives you an idea where we were,” Belichick said.
But the former Patriots and Browns head coach said he’s having fun at the college level.
“I enjoy seeing the kids grow,” he said. “And so you see a lot of growth in kids as they move away from home, as they live on their own and just start to become real adults. So I’ve enjoyed that.”
