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Manny Diaz Makes Stance Clear on Duke-North Carolina Rivalry After Bill Belichick’s Arrival

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nate Lunak | Last updated May 20, 2025 12:25 PM ET

When the North Carolina Tar Heels hired Bill Belichick to take over as the team's next head coach, they instantly became one of the most talked about stories in college football.

There will undoubtedly be a lot of eyes on the program, as the eight-time Super Bowl champion tries to turn a team around that in 2024 went just 6-7, marking their first losing season since 2021.

The move even caught the attention of Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz, who was asked about how it may affect the heated rivalry between the two schools in a video posted to the "ESPN College Football" YouTube channel.

“I’m for whatever gets more people watching, right?” Diaz said. “And anything that again that’s good for ACC football is good for all of us in the ACC. That was a big win for us a year ago… and that’s what makes college football amazing, you know, is those types of rivalries… We’ll be excited, but Coach Belichick has always been great to me.”

This rivalry is about as old as it gets, with their first matchup taking place on Nov. 27, 1888, and they have now played 110 times, while North Carolina holds the all-time lead going 65-41-4.

Diaz and Duke did come out on top in their matchup in 2024, when Mack Brown was still the head coach for the Tar Heels, winning 21-20 after scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter.

However, it will remain to be seen if Diaz can continue on that success against Belichick, as the teams are scheduled to play on Nov. 22 at Kenan Memorial Stadium, the home of North Carolina.

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

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