Legendary NFL head coach Bill Belichick made headlines in early December when he signed a five-year, $50 million deal to become the next head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels. It was a surprising move to many in the football world because it was Belichick’s first college head coaching job. Before signing this deal, he had spent nearly 50 years in the NFL.
UNC GM Mike Lombardi spoke on Friday about Bill Belichick’s future, taking a strong stance.
UNC GM Mike Lombardi Believes Bill Belichick Does Not Want an NFL Return
Since Belichick has spent his entire career in the NFL, most famously with the New England Patriots from 2000 to 2023, many fans and pundits have wondered whether he wants to go back to the NFL. North Carolina GM Mike Lombardi was a guest on “The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz” on Friday.
On the show, Lombardi spoke about Belichick’s future and whether he thinks he is happy to stay in college football.
Ultimately, Lombardi expressed optimism in Belichick sticking with college football despite speculation he could leave with some convenient buy-out language coordinating with NFL calendars.
Does Bill Belichick have any desire to return to the NFL?
"No… He wants to build a culture and in pro football today it becomes increasingly harder to establish a full throttle culture because you've got so many outside entities coming in." @mlombardiNFL on why Bill… pic.twitter.com/PvWRYbhEnZ
— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) December 20, 2024
“No … He wants to build a culture and in pro football today it becomes increasingly harder to establish a full-throttle culture because you’ve got so many outside entities coming in.”
Belichick Will Have a Different Challenge in College Football
With Belichick becoming a college football coach, he will need to tackle a new set of challenges compared to the ones he had in the NFL. While the NFL has a higher level of play, there is much more continuity than in college. In the NFL, players can stick around for well over a decade. That was the case with Tom Brady, and it helped the pair team up to win six Super Bowls.
However, in college football, the maximum number of years a player can play for a team is four seasons, with some exceptions for redshirt seasons. As a result, it is crucial for the coach to build a culture that stays strong despite all of the turnover.
Additionally, Belichick will likely have a bigger role in recruitment than he did in the NFL. As the head coach of UNC, Belichick will meet with high school and transfer portal recruits. He will be a big part in convincing players to come play for his program. This is very different from the NFL where the biggest factor is usually how much a team is willing to pay. It will be interesting to see if Belichick can adapt to this change.
