As most schools were preparing for the Transfer Portal window, the news of Bill Belichick signing as head coach for the North Carolina Tar Heels shocked the landscape and made waves all over college football. As the legendary coach cruises through his first experiences with the Tar Heels, Belichick dropped a massive statement about the portal.
Not many expected Belichick to sign with a university instead of an NFL team, but the impact of the six-time Super Bowl-winning coach is already palpable after only a few days at the helm.
North Carolina needs to rebuild their roster after a 6-6 season, in which they moved on from historic coach Mack Brown and opted for arguably the best coach in the sport’s history. Belichick arrived at Chapel Hill just in time for the NCAA’s Transfer Portal window, it opened on Dec. 9 and will close on Dec. 28. Players on playoff teams will get a five-day span to enter the portal once their seasons are over.
As Belichick and the Tar Heels look to bring in the best available talents in the nation, through the portal, Belichick made a blunt admission on the process and how it compares to the NFL.
“Quite honestly, a lot of players and agents are coming to us, saying, ‘We want to be a part of the program,” Belichick revealed, via On3. “Is there a spot for us? Will you take this player or that player?’ And so forth. A lot of the agents are also representing players in the Transfer Portal that we’ve dealt with in the National Football League. So, a lot of those relationships now carry over into college football.”
Belichick draws a comparison
While Belichick is undoubtedly one of the greatest coaches in football history, he faced criticism in recent seasons with New England for his decisions as GM, particularly in the draft.
Whether that will translate to success as head coach at North Carolina remains unclear, but the 72-year-old mastermind brings enough NFL expertise to chart his path in college football. Belichick has never managed NIL deals, transfers, or scholarships before, but he appears to be quickly getting a handle on it during his first week in charge at Chapel Hill.
“I feel like it’s a combination of the hours after the draft when you’re trying to sign the players who weren’t drafted, and the two days before the start of free agency,” Belichick said on The Pat McAfee Show. “You know it’s a lot of dealing with the player, the agent and maybe another person because not all players have agents. So it’s been an interesting process, but it’s very similar.”
Busy agenda
North Carolina earned bowl eligibility and will face the UConn Huskies on December 28 at the Wasabi Fenway Bowl. Though it makes for an exciting matchup at a historic venue, and back in Massachusetts, Belichick won’t coach the Tar Heels. Instead he is focusing entirely on putting together the roster for the 2025 season.
“We’ve been talking to a number of players,” Bill Belichick said. “We have more coming in this week as part of the portal. That closes on Sunday. So, we have guys coming in pretty much every day this week. Still talking to a couple of high school players. Signed the quarterback. You know, we signed Bryce [Baker].”
Belichick knew what he was getting into when he signed with North Carolina, and as he embarks on his college football journey, he’s learning an entirely new game. While his NFL experience is valuable, it will only take him so far if he doesn’t adapt. Belichick is in for a huge challenge in Chapel Hill.