CHAPEL HILL — In half a century on the sidelines, there's little Bill Belichick hasn't experienced.
He's coached in 12 Super Bowls.
He's made 19 playoff appearances.
He's coached several Hall of Famers, and now, he's even stepped into the college space.
But Saturday brings something new. Belichick will lead the Tar Heels into Charlotte in front of just 15,000 fans — the smallest stage of his legendary career. At 73, and in his 50th year of coaching, Belichick is still experiencing firsts. And he's having fun while doing so.
Belichick didn't say this week what he thinks it'll be like coaching in the smallest venue of his career. Instead, when asked about coaching in a place that's smaller than some high school stadiums across the country, he just smiled.
(Photo: 247Sports)
Belichick's ear-to-ear grin meant more than his words.
Multiple sources close to the program have told TarHeel247 that Belichick is having a blast. Belichick has even told people that this is the most fun he's ever had as a football coach, the sources said.
The once-rare smile has become increasingly normal since he arrived on campus in December 2024. On Aug. 2, he was asked if he was having fun.
"Yeah, it's great," he said, with a smirk.
Another smile came Wednesday, just two days after his team suffered one of the worst losses in his career — a 48-14 beatdown by TCU. He wasn't happy after the game, but he knows it's a process. It takes time. This isn't the first bad loss he's endured.
After he let out a smile, he still gave a Belichick-esque answer. He's still Bill Belichick.
"We take the approach that we can play anywhere, anytime," he said in his normal mellow tone. "Day or night, home, away, in a parking lot, in Ireland, in North Carolina, in California, wherever it is, we've got to be ready to play when the games are scheduled."
What makes him one of the best isn't solely his on-the-field success. Belichick is level-headed, regardless of the circumstances. He was calm leading up to his first collegiate game, he was calm on the sidelines during the game and he was calm after the blowout loss. That's who he is.
"Coach is the same guy every day and that's what makes him so great and what makes him so unique," quarterbacks coach Matt Lombardi said of Belichick. "Whether it's good or bad, if he wins the Super Bowl or we lose Monday night, you're going to get the same guy the next day."
When Belichick was introduced as the Tar Heels' head coach on December 11, 2024, few envisioned him acclimating and adopting the duties of a college head coach.
Few believed he'd embrace the madness that is college football. But here he is: smiling, posing for photos before games and coaching college kids.
With the differences from the NFL to college, he's still under the same umbrella. The same umbrella that brings out his happiness: football.
Belichick is recruiting 15 and 16-year-olds for the first time.
He's hosting high school football youth camps for the first time.
He's doing photo shoots with recruits and their families for the first time.
His smile says it all — he's having fun.
Nobody expected Belichick to transition to the college space, not even his own son.
"If you told me this (is where Bill Belichick would be) a couple of years ago, it would be pretty hard to believe," UNC defensive backs coach Brian Belichick said.
But here he is, experiencing newness in his 28th year as a head coach. And while he might not say how much fun he's having, it's evident.
On Saturday, Belichick will take the field donning his signature sleeveless hoodie and lead his team in front of the smallest crowd he's faced in five decades of coaching. And he’ll do so with a smile on his face, or at least a grin.