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CHARLOTTE — Bill Belichick mania is hitting a new fever pitch, still more than five weeks away from his first game at North Carolina, but the NFL legend is embracing the transition to college football.
“We have a lot of experience in dealing with kind of what the college football landscape is now,” Belichick said Thursday at ACC media days, referencing his coaching staff and front office led by GM Michael Lombardi. “Not the same, but similar in terms of NIL, revenue-sharing, free agency, if you will, and recruiting post-draft type recruiting as opposed to drafting.”
From roster limits to practice time to game preparations, Belichick, 73, feels comfortable in his new role coaching college athletes. “It’s not that different from the NFL,” he said.
Chapel Bill Is Here
Belichick and UNC were by far the biggest draw at the ACC’s preseason kickoff event, and the six-time Super Bowl–winning head coach, known for his often tense interactions with reporters, kept a smile on his face as he hit the podium, chopped it up on TV shows, and met with reporters.
When UNC hired Belichick in December, he instantly became one of the highest-paid coaches in college football with a $10 million salary. And even before he coached a single game in Chapel Hill, speculation about returning to the NFL has remained a talking point after his buyout dropped from $10 million to $1 million on June 1. Meanwhile, Belichick’s relationship with girlfriend Jordon Hudson, including a tenuous interview with CBS News, brought unwanted attention to the coach.
But those potential distractions haven’t stunted the growing hype around Belichick off the field.
On Wednesday, UNC announced it had sold out of all football tickets—season and single game—this season. ESPN platforms have locked in the majority of Tar Heels game broadcasts this season, Front Office Sports can report, as the network bets on Belichick bringing a Deion Sanders–like TV ratings impact. And a docuseries featuring Belichick and UNC football is slated to be released on Disney’s Hulu streaming service, multiple sources previously told FOS.
