Bill Belichick, who won six Super Bowl titles with the New England Patriots during his 24-year stint with them and posted a record of 296-133, stepped down as head coach after the 2023 season ended following an amiable discussion with owner Robert Kraft. Since then, he has been interviewing at various places to find his way to another coaching gig, including ongoing conversations with North Carolina.
While updates regarding UNC potentially hiring him have been a hot topic of conversation around the football circuit, questions remain about how the former NFL coach would manage the college level without any previous experience there.
Rob Gronkowski Questions Bill Belichick’s Willingness To Recruit
On Tuesday’s installation of the “Dan Patrick Show,” former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, who played under Belichick issued a concerning verdict on his mentor’s ability to recruit.
“I can’t see Coach Belichick being all-in in that situation,” Gronkowski said. “Coaching-wise, 100%—on the field getting these players ready for the NFL, that’s what he would do. When it comes to recruiting, I think that’s the question mark and that’s really up to him if he can see himself doing that. Me personally, I could see him getting tired and old with all that transfer portal, NIL stuff going on.”
Gronk says he thinks Belichick would excel at UNC when it comes to game planning and preparation. It's the other stuff that comes along with coaching CFB that he has questions about
"Me personally I could see him getting tired with all that transfer portal, NIL stuff going on" pic.twitter.com/QTsYQlsoub
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) December 10, 2024
Belichick has had mixed results as a talent evaluator, although his track record with quarterback Tom Brady masked those issues. When Brady left, a roster devoid of high-level offensive talent struggled mightily.
It is yet to be determined how Belichick’s methods will translate to the college game. With five decades of experience, the college landscape offers a chance to put those roster management concerns to bed.
Belichick Compares College Recruiting to the NFL Draft
On Monday’s episode of the “Pat McAfee Show,” the 72-year-old went into detail on how he would evaluate high school players during recruitment, taking a note out of former Alabama coach Nick Saban.
“You know, there’s a big level of development from players who are 16-17, in that range, compared to 20-21-year-olds coming to the NFL,” Belichick said. “There’s still a level of development, but thinking in high school, you just have a projection. … You know, Coach Saban had a tremendous amount of success, as we all know, in his career taking wide receivers and moving them to corner, who then became first-, second-round draft choices.”
Belichick noted that imagining how an athlete’s physique will grow as they approach the NFL is important in recruitment.
“Certainly, the alignment — you know a lot of those kids at 17 aren’t the men that they are in the National Football League when they get to 25-26 years old, just physically mature.”
He also spoke about the financial model of college football, which has been turned upside down in recent years.
“There are a lot of football programs that are being structured similar to NFL programs,” he said. “In college, you have high school recruiting and the transfer portal. In pro football, you have the NFL Draft and free agency. You have a salary cap and negotiations with NFL agents. In college, you have negotiations with whoever represents the player. … There’s a little different set of rules, but it’s the same general structure.
“You have to value your players because you have a limited amount of money. It’s a little different version of the NFL model. … Scholarships have been expanded. There are a lot of changes in the college landscape. I’m not going to say I’m an expert on all of them, but everybody’s trying to find out what’s best for their individual situation.”
Speculation around Belichick’s situation grew on Tuesday thanks to insider Ollie Connolly, who reported that the former NFL coach had provided the UNC faculty and executives with a detailed 400-page manual outlining how he would run the program if hired.
The document covers everything from structure to staffing to payment plans. Connolly mentioned that Belichick expects to know UNC’s decision within 24 hours.
However, there has been resistance from board members because of the considerable investment required to implement Belichick’s vision.
Update: Belichick has agreed to become the next UNC coach. Belichick handed the school a 400 page “organizational bible” with structure, payment plans, staffing choices etc. decisions on whether to commit with UNC. He is expected to know their decision within 24 hours https://t.co/DAV2yX9Mn5
— Ollie Connolly (@OllieConnolly) December 10, 2024
Meanwhile, in light of the manual, Belichick talked about how he wants to turn a college football team into an NFL-like operation.
“If was in a college program, the college program would be a pipeline to the NFL,” he said. “It would be a professional program with training, nutrition, scheme, and coaching techniques that would transfer to the NFL. … I feel very confident that I have the contacts in the NFL to pave the way for those players who would have the ability to compete in the NFL. They would be ready for it. It would be an NFL program, but not at the NFL level.”
Whether Belichick is hired and his plan, which looks to fundamentally change UNC football, remains to be seen. With a vulnerable ACC and unsteady college landscape, Belichick’s potential reign could be the sport’s biggest story next season.