- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,247,007
- Reaction score
- 59
North Carolina enters its 2026 season with grounded expectations and another new-look roster. The Tar Heels severely underwhelmed last year, trudging to a 4-8 record after heightened offseason expectations, primarily due to Bill Belichick's hiring.
When comparing North Carolina's current offseason progress to 2025's, Belichick delivered an answer that should give fans more hope.
"We're not starting from scratch [this year]," Belichick said via 247Sports. "We have better evaluation of players and they're further ahead. We didn't have player-led practices last summer. We couldn't run PRP. We didn't have anybody who knew what to do. This year that was a completely different story and the players did a great job."
UNC hired Belichick on December 11, 2024, sending shockwaves across the sports world. Back then, Belichick had no collegiate coaching experience.
Now, Belichick has a full season of college football under his belt. The Tar Heels added more talent in the transfer portal this offseason, including previous Power 4 starters like Billy Edwards and Derek McDonald. North Carolina's 2026 high school recruiting class, headlined by guys like Travis Burgess and Zavion Griffin-Haynes, has it set up for a strong future.
One thing you'll notice off the bat: there's more mystery surrounding UNC this year. Maybe that mystery will keep the Tar Heels focused on winning games, instead of players and coaches fielding numerous questions about off-field issues.
Maybe that mystery is the way Belichick wants things.
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: Bill Belichick compares UNC's 2026 offseason progress to 2025
Continue reading...
When comparing North Carolina's current offseason progress to 2025's, Belichick delivered an answer that should give fans more hope.
"We're not starting from scratch [this year]," Belichick said via 247Sports. "We have better evaluation of players and they're further ahead. We didn't have player-led practices last summer. We couldn't run PRP. We didn't have anybody who knew what to do. This year that was a completely different story and the players did a great job."
UNC hired Belichick on December 11, 2024, sending shockwaves across the sports world. Back then, Belichick had no collegiate coaching experience.
Now, Belichick has a full season of college football under his belt. The Tar Heels added more talent in the transfer portal this offseason, including previous Power 4 starters like Billy Edwards and Derek McDonald. North Carolina's 2026 high school recruiting class, headlined by guys like Travis Burgess and Zavion Griffin-Haynes, has it set up for a strong future.
One thing you'll notice off the bat: there's more mystery surrounding UNC this year. Maybe that mystery will keep the Tar Heels focused on winning games, instead of players and coaches fielding numerous questions about off-field issues.
Maybe that mystery is the way Belichick wants things.
Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: Bill Belichick compares UNC's 2026 offseason progress to 2025
Continue reading...
