Sportsnaut
Bill Belichick’s college coaching career at North Carolina got off to a rough start, as the Tar Heels fell to the TCU Horned Frogs by a score of 48-14.
After scoring an opening drive touchdown, North Carolina got completely outplayed on both sides of the ball the rest of the way. Belichick had no answers and barely any adjustments, and looked a bit out of sorts.
Belichick’s underwhelming coaching debut with the Tar Heels is just the beginning of what could be a tumultuous era in North Carolina.
According to multiple reports, Belichick and the Tar Heels have banned New England Patriots scouts from attending North Carolina games and scouting players. 3 & Out’s John Middlekauff initially reported the news, with ESPN confirming the story on Thursday.
“[Michael] Lombardi and Tar Heels pro liaison Frantzy Jourdain informed the Patriots that they would be banned from UNC the day before one of their scouts was scheduled to visit in August, a source with direct knowledge told ESPN,” ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler said on Monday.
North Carolina’s decision to ban the Patriots, the team Belichick coached for 24 years in the NFL, is incredibly detrimental to the players. New England scouts will not be able to make evaluations on Tar Heel players in person, which could hurt their draft stocks on the Patriots’ boards in future drafts.
Belichick won six Super Bowls as Patriots head coach and is an icon in Boston. However, it looks like his relationship with the franchise has deteriorated since he parted ways with New England in 2024.
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