Imagine being a 17-year-old high school football player with aspirations of making it to the NFL, and the guy who coached arguably the greatest quarterback ever recruits you to play at the collegiate level. This is a reality with Coach Bill Belichick agreeing to a five-year deal to become the University North Carolina Tar Heels head coach.
Athletes in the program will receive coaching from an eight-time Super Bowl champion with the second-most wins in NFL history. How will this move affect UNC? What impact will it have on College Football? Why will Belichick be the perfect fit for college?
Belichick Goes Back To School
I don’t know if you will see Bill Belichick participating in a game of beer pong or pledging for a Sigma Pi, but you will see him on a college campus. The University of North Carolina made a huge splash by bringing in the legendary coach. Chapel Hill may turn into “Chapel Bill” if Belichick can turn the “basketball school” into a football powerhouse. UNC is coming off a 6-6 (3-5 in conference) season and hasn’t won the ACC Championship since 1980. The stakes have never been higher to become a conference champion with the new College Football Playoff format. The Tar Heels last made the championship game in 2022 losing to Clemson.
Belichick looks to make the UNC program a pipeline from high school straight through college into the NFL. Who better than the six-time Super Bowl champion head coach to get them there? Belichick will prepare these kids with not only on-the-field NFL experience but also nutrition and lifestyle changes. One of the biggest challenges with going from the pros to the college level is the maturity of the athletes.
While maturity is a big concern, the prospects that join this program should realize the opportunity that is presented and the connections that the Hall of Fame Coach has. It’s hard enough to make it to the professional level, but under the tutelage of Belichick, it may make it an easier path for these kids to take.
Belichick’s Impact On the College Game
This is a new era of College Football with NIL, the Transfer Portal, and things becoming more professional and business-like. Who would have thought there would ever be a time when kids stay in college to make NIL money versus going to the NFL? “Coach Prime” has somewhat started a revolution of high-profile coaches taking over programs and getting recruits through the Transfer Portal, focusing on NIL and NFL connects.
Colorado, out of all places, had 2 of the top 5 Heisman Trophy candidates, which seems unheard of. Belichick joins this trend with the opportunity to make a traditional basketball-heavy school into a football powerhouse. The appeal to play for a guy with great NFL experience and connections may be the new wave of College Football.
People wonder if the 72-year-old can succeed in the college ranks. The answer is simple: ABSOLUTELY! The ACC usually only has a few top teams and is open for the taking to make the College Football Playoff. Belichick will be building this program from the ground up, but can he recruit? Yes, not only did he recruit a girlfriend who is 48 years younger than him, but his NFL experience should be enough to entice young athletes.
The recruiting college experience is similar to the NFL Draft, where Belichick, for the most part, was very successful. Worried about the Transfer Portal? Why? Belichick has a proven track record of bringing in free agents in the NFL.
Final Thoughts
I think this is a brilliant move on UNC’s part. Bringing the greatest coach of all time to build a program that has struggled historically. This could be the start of more big-name coaches going to the college level. There are only 32 head coaching spots in the NFL, but over 100 in college. Guys that have that NFL connection could make programs like Colorado or North Carolina big-time players like they have never been before.
With the influence of NIL and social media, these athletes are bringing in more money than ever before. These young football players don’t go to college to “play school” they go to play football, and with high-profile coaches, the game is about to change again.
