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Molly Qerim, Stephen A. Smith Had Heated Debate About Bill Belichick On 'First Take'

Originally posted on The Spun | By Hunter Hodies | Last updated Dec 12, 2024 6:30 PM ET

Bill Belichick shocked a lot of people when he accepted the head coaching position at the University of North Carolina on Wednesday.

He had been talking to the school for the last several days about the position and the two sides were able to finalize a five-year deal on Wednesday before he was introduced to the media on Thursday.

Belichick's hire has garnered a lot of reactions from people in sports media, including Molly Qerim and Stephen A. Smith.

The two had a heated debate during Thursday's edition of First Take when Qerim told viewers that Belichick at UNC would be "appointment viewing" but Smith disagreed.

"I think you are completely wrong," Qerim told Smith. "Colorado was terrible before Deion Sanders got there and it became appointment viewing. For true football fans, this is going to be appointment viewing to see what Bill Belichick does."

"You know Molly? Respectfully, I don't care. Let me be very, very clear, I don't care and I'm going to tell you why. It's not going to last. He's not Prime Time in terms of personality. Bill Belichick is going to go back to being the Bill Belichick we saw with the New England Patriots. In year one, we'll watch him. But after that, please, stop it," Smith said in response.

Qerim then kept going, saying that the hire wasn't sexy enough for him.

"Stephen A. it's just not sexy enough for you," Qerim said. "Stephen A. is all about box office, he wants every free agent to go to the Lakers, he hates small markets, it's just not sexy enough for him."

Smith wasn't happy with that statement, either.

"Molly completely misrepresents me, that's alright," Smith said.

Here's the full exchange:

Molly Qerim calls out Stephen A. Smith for big-market bias in his sports takes as the 'First Take' hosts spar over Bill Belichick's move to North Carolina:

"Molly completely misrepresents me, that's alright."

(h/t @BucksShowYo) pic.twitter.com/hK9WRxoAan
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 12, 2024

Belichick takes over a UNC football program that only won six games this year, resulting in Mack Brown being fired. Before this season, UNC had won 17 combined games in its last two seasons.

Belichick took 2024 off after he and the New England Patriots parted ways at the end of the 2023 season. He was with them for over two decades and helped them win six Super Bowls, tied for the most in NFL history.

It'll be fascinating to see how he does as a coach at the collegiate level.

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

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