CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The person with extra Tremendous Bowl wins than another coach in NFL historical past now has his first win as a university coach.
Invoice Belichick picked up win No. 1 in faculty — and No. 334 general — as North Carolina shrugged off a dismal opening efficiency Monday vs. TCU and beat Charlotte on Saturday night time 20-3.
“It is nice,” Belichick mentioned, “nevertheless it’s actually concerning the crew. It was disappointing Monday night time towards TCU, however these guys bounced again — gamers, coaches, employees, help individuals — and simply bought again to work. They had been decided to have a greater final result. I am actually happy with what they did. They deserve the credit score for tonight.”
After a 48-14 blowout loss that included two defensive touchdowns by the Horned Frogs, Belichick praised the crew’s means to shrug off the efficiency and deal with the basics.
UNC led 17-3 on the half, rushed for 148 yards, and did not flip over the ball towards Charlotte. In the meantime, the Tar Heels’ maligned protection held the 49ers to only 21 yards on the bottom, 5 days after TCU ran for 258.
The information cycle after Monday’s loss had been ugly for Belichick and the Tar Heels — “loads of negativity from the surface,” he mentioned — together with studies from a number of shops, together with ESPN, that scouts from the New England Patriots, with whom Belichick received six Tremendous Bowls, have been banned from North Carolina’s facility.
Belichick confirmed these studies Saturday, saying the choice was in response to a closed-door edict in New England.
“It is apparent I am not welcome at their facility,” Belichick mentioned, “so they are not welcome at ours.”
Belichick has had an acrimonious divorce from New England and proprietor Bob Kraft since he left the Patriots after the 2023 season, with a number of spats erupting within the media in latest months. Belichick took difficulty with feedback from Kraft that hiring him had been a “huge threat,” releasing an announcement in July saying that he was the one who took a threat by accepting the job. In a Boston Globe story final month, Belichick appeared to take one other swipe, saying that one of many perks of his job at North Carolina is that “there is no proprietor, there is no proprietor’s son,” the latter a reference to Jonathan Kraft.
On Saturday, Belichick appeared in much better spirits, although hardly effervescent in his celebration.
Requested if the crew had given Belichick a sport ball to have fun his first win with the Tar Heels, senior Gavin Gibson laughed and mentioned, “If we might tried, I feel he’d take a look at us like, ‘Nah.'”
As an alternative, Belichick pointed to UNC’s dedication to wipe the slate clear after Monday’s ugly loss and supply some renewed hope that the Tar Heels would not roll over.
“It was clear within the locker room and as we bought out on the observe subject there was a … increased stage of dedication and dedication,” Belichick mentioned. “That was good to see us enhance.”
North Carolina hosts Richmond subsequent week earlier than heading to UCF to shut out its nonconference schedule.
