It’s no news that UNC is a renowned basketball program, celebrated for producing legends like Michael Jordan and maintaining its continued dominance. But this time, it isn’t about basketball. UNC had a change of mind, and even they knew that football rules college athletics. So, what did they do? They went all out to get the 8-time Super Bowl winner head coach and arguably the GOAT of the NFL, Bill Belichick, to make their football program great again. The message?
It was simple. There must have been periods when coaches like Dabo Swinney and Mario Cristobal ruled the ACC. But now, Clemson, Miami, and FSU should beware of those 8 Super Bowl rings. Their GM, Michael Lombardi, is all in on hyping up Bill Belichick and countering the argument that the head coach has no experience in the CFB. Because, believe it or not, revenue sharing and NIL mixed, have blurred the lines between amateur and professional sports.
Lombardi appeared on the ‘Go Heels’ 27th June podcast episode and talked about how TV ratings would dominate the fate of UNC and how he was prepared for it. And right now, the motivation factor was the NFL’s great at the helm. “In new ACC land, being a big brand matters. Getting high TV ratings matters if there’s a financial incentive there. How is Carolina football positioned to be a big brand and maybe the biggest of the brands? Well, I mean we have the greatest coach of all time,” said Lombardi.
The $50 million contract that UNC gave Belichick was for a reason, and because he brought with him the national attention. We probably saw that with the whole Jordon Hudson controversy. Of course, it wasn’t positive, but even the folks who didn’t follow college football were following the controversy closely and had their opinions on it. So, that’s media visibility right there. But it’s not that Belichick was at UNC to bring just his name; it was his expertise, too.
For instance, ever since Belichick arrived, the Tar Heels have extensively brought in players from the transfer portal and added 21 players just before the national signing day. This was possible because of Belichick’s influence and pull. Of course, it’s not equal to classes of Miami or Clemson, but with time, it is expected of them, as Lombardi pointed.
“I mean, let’s face it, I mean no disrespect to any of the great coaches in the ACC. But he’s got eight rings attached to his fingers, so people are going to pay attention to that. And I think that our job is to put the best football team we can out there,” said Michael Lombardi. And he’s not wrong, Belichick has all the media attention, and he can leverage, even surpass ACC coaches like Dabo Swinney or Mario Cristobal. As for UNC’s support, the program is all behind Belichick.
According to various reports, the program has already sidelined around $13 million from the $20.5 million revenue-sharing money just for football. Moreover, Belichick also got $10 million to pay his assistants and bring in world-class coaches. As for the NIL sharing? The head coach has reportedly been given a $20 million separate NIL money raise, up from $4 million previously, which showcases the welcome change. Now, all Belichick and Lombardi need to do is make UNC the 33rd NFL franchise, like they have promised.
Not everything is green for Bill Belichick in 2025
Apart from the above exploits, the head coach has also hired some of the best coaches for his team. For instance, his son Steve Belichick brings 21 years of experience with the Patriots and was the DC of the Washington in 2024. Then there is Matt Lombardi, the son of Michael Lombardi, who is the QBs coach and has NFL experience with the Raiders and the Panthers. But his most prized possession is still Michael Lombardi, who has 30+ years of NFL experience and aims to follow the NFL model in recruiting. But will that work?
Pablo Torre predicts a mediocre season for UNC, despite the hype by Michael Lombardi. “I think seven wins would be a good season, and that’s saying that the quarterback position plays out and overperforms. You lose virtually your best pass rusher to the market. You lose Omarion Hampton to the NFL draft. You’ve got some significant rebuild pieces there, and on top of it, you’re going to have so many distractions surrounding this program,” said Torre.
The running back Omarion Hampton was a crucial piece for UNC, but he has now gone to the NFL. As for the QB position? Belichick has brought in Gio Lopez from South Alabama. The guy did produce 2,559 yards last year with them, along with 463 rushing yards. But the big question still remains: Can he successfully transition from the Sun Belt to the ACC?
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