Stuck in the tar: The unlikely fall of UNC football under Belichick

Jacob Barnett, Staff Writer

December 15, 2025

Fans hang on to the edge of their seats watching Bill Belichick’s Tarheels take the field at Kenan Memorial Stadium.

Ask any football fan who the greatest coach is. Guaranteed, Bill Belichick will make his way into the conversation. Spending 24 years with the New England Patriots and winning six Super Bowls, Belichick’s reputation for success follows him.

In January of 2024, Bill Belichick announced his final decision to step down from the head coaching position in New England. Amidst many rumours about Belichick’s next move and a potential job to coach the Atlanta Falcons, in December of the same year, the coach announced a five-year deal with the University of North Carolina. The school’s Athletic Director, Bubba Cunningham, seemed very hopeful about the hiring, stating in an ESPN interview, “Bill Belichick is a football legend and hiring him to lead our program represents a new approach that will ensure Carolina Football can evolve, compete and win — today and in the future.” The hiring comes after a season of struggle for the Tar Heels. Just the previous month, in November, UNC Football Coach Mack Brown was fired after leading the team to a 6-6 record.

However, Belichick comes to the team in a weird spotlight of public attention. Amidst many rumors of where the coach would go, Belichick met his new girlfriend, 24-year-old Jordon Hudson. However, the controversy comes from the nearly 50-year age gap between the two, putting Belichick in an unfavorable light to some. Additionally, many Tar Heels fans have spotted Hudson on the sidelines during games, such as the Tar Heels’ 34-9 loss against the University of Central Florida, adding speculation that she distracts the coach.

Today, after the Tar Heels’ 2025 season has ended, many are surprised to see the team sitting at a 4-8 record, two games behind Brown’s team. The hiring of Bill Belichick gave the UNC team a promise of success. However, with only four wins for the season, the program has come up short of its goals.

Looking at the team’s stats for the season, UNC doesn’t rank highly compared to other College Football (CFB) teams, allowing an average of 24.5 points against per game. This places their defense at 68th out of all 136 CFB teams. Hopefully, this ranking would set UNC up to be just above the middle of the pack, but when the team’s offensive stats are taken into account, this isn’t the case. The Tar Heels’ offense only put up an average of 19.3 points per game over the season, not pairing well with the points the team allows. To make matters worse, the team averages only 183.5 yards passing per game and 105.3 yards rushing. These stats combined give the offense a rank of about 117 out of all 136 teams: extremely low. Some of the team’s worst games include a 48-14 loss to Texas Christian University (TCU) and a crushing blowout loss dealt by rival team NC State, 42-19.

The highlights for the season are few, but the Tar Heels did bring in some success. Beating Richmond 41-6 and Stanford 20-15, all hope is not yet lost for the future of UNC Football. The team also brought in wins against Syracuse and the more local Charlotte 49ers.

However, the statistics from the team’s season don’t flatter Belichick by any means. To coach professional football for over two decades and then lead a college team to a 4-8 record could delegitimize the coaching greatness of Bill Belichick. Can the coach perform without star athletes on his roster?

According to long-time football and New England Patriots fan, Ethan MacLean (‘27), Bill Belichick is “One of the greats.” MacLean actually attended UNC’s 41-6 victory against Richmond and has high hopes for the Tar Heels. According to MacLean, the team hasn’t had enough time to rebuild with Belichick. The coach needs to “Develop his environment, which is why I believe they [UNC Football] will be much better in the future.” He also stated that Belichick still has time to “Turn it around.” While the fall from coaching in the NFL to coaching a college team to 4-8 is drastic, some coaches just need time to get the athletes they need and find their place.

While Bill Belichick is hailed as one of the greatest coaches, his overall letdown with the University of North Carolina challenges that status. The Tar Heels rebuild won’t be an easy process, but Bill Belichick’s potential shouldn’t be docked. In a couple of seasons, a strong Tar Heels team could captivate the CFB world.

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About the Contributors

Jacob Barnett, Staff Writer

Jacob Barnett is a junior at Green Hope and an aspiring musician, playing guitar for his band “Cytrous.” Jacob, known as Jake by friends, is a hardworking new addition to the GH Falcon’s staff. Jake has played for multiple Green Hope sports teams such as wrestling and cross country, but strayed away to focus on the guitar. Jake tries to practice the guitar daily to keep consistency, even if it’s only for 10 minutes. Jake often finds himself with a lack of personal time outside of extracurriculars such as guitar lessons and his job at Jet’s pizza. Although he now doesn’t play any, he still has a long time love for sports stemming from his grandfather and his strong ties to Philadelphia that have inspired the teams he watches. Jake has a strong interest in not just music but also music media, having a strong understanding of what’s popular in many different areas of music. Overall, Jake is a strong new part of the GH Falcon and is excited to write this year.

Caroline Newcomb, Staff Writer

Caroline Newcomb is a senior at Green Hope, and this is her first year writing for the GH Falcon. She believes that writing can unite a community, and has always been fascinated by the ability to captivate an audience, which led her to join the staff. She flourishes in the media world – whether that be working behind the scenes for our school news or writing for the GH Falcon. Volleyball plays a major role in Caroline’s life. Not only does she play for Green Hope, but she also runs the social media page for both her volleyball and the school’s softball team. With a lot on her plate, Caroline’s coordination comes in handy, making her organization one of her most admirable traits. When Caroline is not playing sports, you can find her working out, at the beach or listening to her favorite artist, Drake. If you catch Caroline a decade from now, expect to see her working with a sports team, focusing on curating their image and helping them grow as an athlete.