UNC Football's Embarrassing Nickname Mocked After NFL Draft

Sep 1, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick on the field before the game at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images© Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

UNC Football's Embarrassing Nickname Mocked After NFL Draft

Originally posted on The Spun | By Chris Rosvoglou | Last updated Apr 29, 2026 5:28 PM ET

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North Carolina football coach Bill Belichick and general manager Mike Lombardi are getting crushed by NFL fans this month, and frankly, we can't blame them for doing so.

When Belichick and Lombardi arrived in Chapel Hill, they referred to the Tar Heels as the 33rd Team. It was not only a jab at the NFL, it was their way of praising their ability to rebuild North Carolina's roster.

Well, the 33rd Team needs a bit more NFL talent. Despite having Belichick at the helm, the Tar Heels failed to produce a single draft pick last week.

"Apparently, the 32 NFL teams weren’t too pumped about Belichick’s gutting and rebuilding of the North Carolina roster in the 2025 season. That’s 257 players drafted, and not one selected from the program currently led by the greatest coach in NFL history," Matt Hayes of USA Today wrote. "More than 100 players on the UNC roster, and Belichick and his high-paid staff — including Lombardi and defensive coordinator Stephen Belichick — couldn’t manage to acquire and develop one lousy player the NFL deemed draft worthy.

It's a bumpy start to Belichick's tenure in Chapel Hill.

Back in November, there were rumors about Belichick potentially leaving North Carolina. That's mainly because the program was well under .500 and there were rumblings that his buyout lowered to $1 million.

"Since arriving in Chapel Hill., my commitment to the UNC football program hasn't wavered," Belichick said. "My focus remains solely on continuing to improve this team, develop our players and build a program that makes Tar Heel fans proud."

If Belichick fails to improve during his second season at UNC, there's a good chance fans will be begging for him to pursue another NFL job.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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