North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick could hardly have imagined a worse debut in Chapel Hill than Saturday’s 48–14 thrashing at the hands of TCU.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio has already floated the possibility—if not the inevitability—that Belichick won’t last long at UNC. While Florio stopped short of endorsing an outright dismissal, he made it clear he has little faith in Belichick or general manager Mike Lombardi after fielding such a disastrous product.
“While it’s too early for UNC supporters to want to get Belichick out of town, it was a very bad debut,” Florio wrote. “The 48 points surrendered by North Carolina were the most ever given up by a Belichick-coached team. And they now have to get ready for a Saturday night game at Charlotte. They should easily win that one, and the one after that (against Richmond). Still, the team that showed up tonight (if it’s fair to say they even showed up) doesn’t seem to be nearly good enough. That’s on Belichick — and G.M. Mike Lombardi. They turned the roster over, bringing in 70 new players. For the first game, those players weren’t nearly good enough.”
The Tar Heels didn’t have a single redeeming moment. The defense was gashed for explosive plays, the special teams gave up momentum-shifting breakdowns, and the offense looked like an FCS program overmatched by a Power Four heavyweight. Outside of a scripted opening drive and a desperation series led by backup QB Max Johnson, the attack never threatened.
Compounding matters is the offseason turmoil surrounding Jordon Hudson. The wide receiver drama left questions about the program’s stability, and the cohesion issues were glaring against TCU. Belichick’s personal life—highlighted by his highly publicized relationship with Hudson, who is the same age as Johnson—has only amplified whispers of a fractured locker room.
Saturday’s game wasn’t just a loss; it was a humiliation. For Belichick and his retooled roster, the question is whether this debacle can be shrugged off—or if it’s the first sign that “Chapel Bill” is on borrowed time.
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