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Dec 14, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head football coach Bill Belichick with recruit quarterback Bryce Baker during half time at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

What is Bill Belichick’s Motto for the Tar Heels?

Originally posted on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI
By Jeremiah Artacho | Last updated Jul 27, 2025 12:00 PM ET

T.S.D.

What does that acronym you may wonder? It stands for tough, smart, and dependable. That is the phrase both Washington transfer cornerback Thaddeus Dixon and rising sophomore wide receiver Jordan Shipp used at the 2025 ACC Kickoff on Thursday, July 24. South Alabama transfer quarterback Gio Lopez and defensive back Will Hardy were in attendance taking questions from the media as well.

Whatever message Bill Belichick is sending to his players seems to be sticking, which is good, as the growing bond will only ever help North Carolina find itself on the winning side of football games (perhaps more than six times, unlike last season). Coach Belichick and his four players had the media in the palm of their hands, it seemed, as the scrums seen in the breakout rooms counted plenty of journalists and cameras, all lined up one after the other.

Here are the questions and responses from both Dixon and Shipp that led them to share the same "tough, smart, and dependable," motto at ACC Kickoff, per TheACC:

Q. You have to be answering a million questions about your coach and his personality, and there's a lot known about his personality. Can you tell me a little bit about the personality of the Tar Heels and your team and what we can expect from them this year?

"THADDEUS DIXON: Yeah, you can expect a tough, smart, dependable team, a team that communicates a lot, a team that's well put together, well driven, a team with a chip on their shoulder. Honestly, everybody got something to prove. Everybody is trying to get somewhere. That's what you can expect out of us."

Q. Jordan, you went from one Hall-of-Fame coach in Coach Grier to now Coach Belichick. What type of conversations have you had with Coach Grier about advice going on to Coach Belichick? And two, has there been any conversations about bringing your former quarterback in Jadyn in Carolina blue?

"JORDAN SHIPP: Definitely, I talk to Coach Grier a lot. Coach Grier is a huge reason why I'm here. Coach Grier poured into me, his family, Ms. Nila, Will Grier, all the Griers, they all poured into me a lot. I talk to Coach a lot. A lot of the conversations that I've had with Coach Grier in high school are kind of similar to what Coach Belichick brings. He wants you to be tough, smart, dependable, and Coach Grier echoed that same thing when we were in high school, and I feel like that's why we were so good at such a high-level high school program because of the way he carried himself and the things that he poured into us.

Yeah, I just feel like Coach Grier is a great coach, but then you look at Coach B and he takes that to a whole 'nother level. You're going to be tough, smart, dependable, and you're going disciplined, and we're going to do everything right. We're going to play to his standard, and that standard is not going to drop off for nobody. You can't obtain it, just get out the way, next guy up."

Maybe we will see other players use those same three words as the season gets underway in press conferences and post-game interviews. But it shows that UNC is on the same page, which is a necessity for success.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is gaining attraction by the day, all because of one big decision to hire a eight-time Super Bowl champion as its football head coach.

Please

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

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