Oct 17, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears head coach Justin Wilcox and North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick shake hands after the game at California Memorial Stadium. Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Bill Belichick Makes UNC Commitment Clear Again

Originally posted on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI
By Grant Chachere | Last updated Nov 15, 2025 11:00 AM ET

As we get closer to the end of both the college and pro football seasons, there will be constant reports about Bill Belichick's status, especially with the New York Giants' job opening up. However, Belichick reaffirmed that his full attention is on North Carolina with a press release issued via social media.

“I have great respect and genuinely care for the New York Giants organization and both the Mara and Tisch families. The New York Giants played an important role in my life and in my coaching journey,” Belichick wrote.

“It was a privilege for me to work for the Mara family and be a member of Coach Parcells’ staff for over a decade. However, despite circulating rumors, I have not and will not pursue any NFL head coaching vacancies.

“Since arriving in Chapel Hill, my commitment to the UNC Football program has not waivered. We have tremendous support from the university, our alumni, and the entire Carolina community. My focus remains solely on continuing to improve this team, develop our players, and build a program that makes Tar Heel fans proud. We’re on to Wake Forest.”

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Belichick was first asked about this on Tuesday, when he offered a similar but more concise response.

"I've been asked about it from time to time," Belichick said. "Look I've been down this road before. I'm focused on Wake Forest, that's it. That's my commitment to this team. This week it's Wake Forest, next week it's that opponent and so forth. I'm here to do the best for this team."

North Carolina has won two straight games to improve its record to 4-5 after defeating Syracuse and Stanford. UNC’s defense ranks in the top 30 nationally in both total defense and run defense, and the Tar Heels have recorded 19 sacks in their past three games.

A Brief Preview of Saturday's Game Against Wake Forest

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Two of the ACC’s best defenses will square off, as both North Carolina (4-5, 2-3 ACC) and Wake Forest (6-3, 2-3 ACC) rank in the top 40 nationally. That stands to reason, since both Bill Belichick and Wake’s Jake Dickert are defensive-minded head coaches.

North Carolina is coming off a 20-15 win over Stanford. The Tar Heels recorded nine sacks last week, the third most in a single game in program history.

Wake Forest has secured bowl eligibility for the first time since 2022 with a road win over No. 14 Virginia, marking their highest-ranked victory away from home since 1979. The Demon Deacons are led by first-year coach Jake Dickert, who has led an incredible turnaround after coming over from Washington State.

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Running back Demond Claiborne has rushed for 714 yards (5.5 yards per carry) and eight touchdowns., ranking among the top five rushers and scorers in the ACC.

Defensively, Wake Forest has been stout, holding opponents to just 20.3 points per game, the second-best mark in the conference.

This article first appeared on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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