Will Bill Belichick, Tar Heels Flip a Chapter this Season?

Originally posted on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI
By Jeremiah Artacho | Last updated Aug 25, 2025 11:00 AM ET

Will the North Carolina football program do it? Will it win more than six games during the 2025 season? Will Head Coach Bill Belichick turn the tables, after a long, long career in the NFL, winning eight Super Bowls after an abundant amount of experience? Or will it be another losing season? Another season that underperforms, and the Tar Heels are considered to be a "soft" team, as referenced in the past.

For starters, Coach Belichick and his staff are taking the physicality problem by the horns and running it in the right direction. The 73-year-old has laid out the foundation to his players, where they are: smart, tough and dependable. Offensive Coordinator Freddie Kitchens and Defensive Coordinator Steve Belichick will be handling each side of the football.

Last season, UNC's offensive production was led by now-NFL running back Omarion Hampton, who was drafted in the first round of this year's NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Chargers. UNC's defense? Well, that has been a problem for quite some time, extending beyond the 2024 campaign, but to put it simply, the Tar Heels gave up 70 points to JMU last September.

The Opportunity Has Arrived for UNC to Shine

North Carolina has a golden opportunity to capitalize on Coach Belichick's time in Chapel Hill, who knows when he will be leaving? And besides his long career as a coach, he is also an older person who may want to explore the other great things life has to offer besides sports. However, while he is present and wearing the Carolina blue and white colors, he is a part of the university.

September 1 is when Coach Belichick either begins to write a new chapter or one that sticks to the current readings of UNC not doing so well in football. TCU will be a tough matchup for North Carolina, especially with Josh Hoover as the opposing signal caller. The defense will need to be on point if UNC has any chance at winning its season opener.

The opportunity is in UNC's hands; it's all about execution on the gridiron, per usual. If Coach Belichick can turn things around, then the chapter will flip to the next page for the greater good of the program.

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

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