Former UNC Player Puts Bill Belichick On Blast After Ditching Tar Heels For ACC Rival

Bill Belichick. Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Former UNC Player Puts Bill Belichick On Blast After Ditching Tar Heels For ACC Rival

Originally posted on Total Pro Sports | By Orlando Silva | Last updated May 7, 2026 5:21 PM ET

Bill Belichick’s first season as the North Carolina Tar Heels head coach didn’t go as expected. The former New England Patriots leader joined the program after 24 years with the NFL franchise.

After a 4-8 first season, Belichick is ready to run it back and post better numbers. The rumors surrounding Belichick weren’t positive. People within the program reportedly didn’t like the stories that went viral, even though most of them were fake.

More recently, a former player shed light on what happened during his first and only season under Belichick.

Bill Belichick’s Program Put In Bad Light By Former Player

Bill Belichick (Image Credits: Imagn)

Former North Carolina quarterback Gio Lopez, who joined ACC rivals Wake Forest, described his experience with the Tar Heels.

“Back at the other school, it felt like there’s no air,” Lopez recently said to Logan Lazarczyk of SI.com.

“Here, it’s fun again. They’re moving us in the right direction, energized, and guys are enjoying football. It’s like fresh air. I’d never had to respond to tough situations like that on that loud of a scale.”

He described the environment as “work,” which he found out after the very first game of the season. After that, he lost his love for the sport.

This article first appeared on Total Pro Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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