The North Carolina Tar Heels parted ways with legendary head coach Mack Brown after six seasons in his second tenure at the school. They decided to hire renowned NFL head coach Bill Belichick as his replacement.
This surprising announcement caught the attention of the sports world, as the six-time Super Bowl champion has no prior coaching experience at the college level. Reactions to the hire have been mixed. ESPN's Paul Finebaum expressed uncertainty about whether Belichick will succeed in this new role. Conversely, ESPN's Bill Connelly predicted the Tar Heels would make the College Football Playoff in 2025.
On his YouTube channel, "David Pollack College Football," analyst David Pollack was asked if he believes North Carolina can win a national championship for the first time in school history. Pollack stated that he isn't fully convinced yet but praised Belichick's hiring and the system they have implemented.
"I'm not going to say yes with them, but I'm going to put them high on this list as the next team," Pollack said. "Like, how about that? Just because Michael Jordan, facilities, baby blue, I know they take a back seat to basketball, but it's just a cool brand. Belichick is now coming in with experience, a GM, and a system. They're going to get better, and they're going to improve. I would put them high on the list, but I'm still not going to say yes."
Belichick faces a significant challenge. The Tar Heels haven't won double-digit games since 2015 and have only achieved this feat four times since 1982. Last season, North Carolina finished with a record of 6-7, ending the year on a three-game losing streak.
On the positive side, Belichick had a productive offseason in the transfer portal, with North Carolina finishing 14th in the nation and signing 18 new players. There is optimism that Belichick can leverage his elite NFL experience to elevate the program and lead North Carolina to unprecedented success. However, Pollack isn't sold just yet.
Related: Paul Finebaum Thinks Bill Belichick Took UNC Job for a Different Reason
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This story was originally published March 7, 2025 at 9:00 PM.