North Carolina Tar Heels: ESPN Analyst Calls Bill Belichick-Led Team 'An Afterthought'

The North Carolina Tar Heels football program is one of the few unranked teams that is creating buzz in the offseason. It’s not hard to understand why. Six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach Bill Belichick took the head coaching position, looking to become one of the few coaches to win at both levels. Non-football drama has dominated the news cycle, but the season is closer than some might think. One ESPN analyst does not have high hopes for the Tar Heels this season, calling the team “an afterthought” in the ACC.

North Carolina Tar Heels “An Afterthought”

ESPN’s Heather Dinich was on Get Up this morning, talking with Paul Finebaum about the expectations for the year. The North Carolina Tar Heels don’t have a star-studded roster. While they have some solid players, the team is counting on the coaching prowess of Bill Belichick to count for a few wins. Dinich doesn’t think we will be talking about UNC in December. 

“They are looking up at Clemson, and Miami, if not several other teams in the ACC. Clemson is the team to beat. North Carolina is still an afterthought.”

This isn’t necessarily a hot take by Dinich. Many other analysts are lukewarm on the Tar Heels heading into the 2025 season. Phil Steele of Sports Illustrated projects them to finish seventh, behind Louisville, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Miami, SMU, and Clemson. Part of the reason for this is the unknown. Belichick’s time in the NFL ended poorly, and we have no idea if he will be able to replicate success at the collegiate level.

Bill Belichick

In the last four seasons in the NFL, Belichick went 29-39. He couldn’t seem to replicate the success of the past, getting elite performances out of key role players. The college game is completely different. It isn’t just on the field. Belichick will have to hit the recruiting trail, manage the transfer portal, and coach a huge roster of players. Furthermore, other programs have a massive head start. It takes a bit for any coach to build an infrastructure.

Final Thoughts

Similar to the Colorado Buffaloes, there will be interest in the North Carolina Tar Heels, no matter how many wins they have, because of the coach. Can Belichick surprise some people and get the Tar Heels into the national conversation?