While the college football world is still processing the news that Bill Belichick will be the next head coach at North Carolina, the longtime NFL great and his staff have already gotten to work. The transfer portal is open and Belichick and company have a lot of work to do to build the Tar Heels into a contender.
Before he dives into the job fully, Belichick released a statement to North Carolina fans and college football fans all around the country after accepting the job, vis ESPN's Adam Schefter.
“I am excited for the opportunity at UNC-Chapel Hill,” the statement read, per Schefter. “I grew up around college football with my dad and treasured those times. I have always wanted to coach in college and now I look forward to building the football program in Chapel Hill.”
Belichick will have a lot of work to do in a short amount of time after a disappointing season in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels head into their bowl game after a 6-6 finish that ended with the team parting ways with Mack Brown. In order to get to the level of Clemson, Miami (FL), SMU and the other top teams in the ACC, this North Carolina roster will need a lot of new faces.
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Getting starting quarterback Max Johnson back will be a big help, assuming he sticks around under the new regime. Johnson suffered a season-ending injury during North Carolina's season opener and said he plans on returning to Chapel Hill in 2025, though that may have changed with the coaching change.
While it remains to be seen what Belichick's staff will look like at North Carolina, his NFL experience and his long list of accolades at the pro level will certainly be a big recruiting draw for him. We have already seen the impact that NFL experience and a staff with experience at the highest level has done for Deion Sanders and Colorado when it comes to luring top transfer targets, so it's feasible that Belichick could have similar success in that department.