During his time as head coach of the New England Patriots, Bill Belichick was often seen as a villain by the media. The eight-time Super Bowl champion was known for giving dry answers and snapping at reporters, which earned him a bad reputation.
However, that might be changing now that he’s coaching at the college level with the North Carolina Tar Heels. According to one reporter, his attitude toward the media is the complete opposite of what many expected.
Bill Belichick’s New Approach to the Media as North Carolina’s Head Coach
Everyone has seen the infamous videos of Bill Belichick, the head coach of the New England Patriots, during pre- or post-game press conferences.
Coach Belichick had no comment on the Antonio Brown news…as expected pic.twitter.com/Wp17gCMr6T
— Patriots Coverage on NBCS Boston (@NBCSPatriots) September 9, 2019
Whenever the legendary coach faced the media, it was apparent he did not want to be there and was only doing so to avoid fines from the team or the league.
However, according to North Carolina insider Andrew Jones, Belichick has not lived up to that reputation in Chapel Hill. In fact, he has been welcoming to the Tar Heels’ media members.
“Everyone has their take on him being a curmudgeon,” Jones said. “He doesn’t talk to the media. He disdains the media. You don’t ask him a question like he’s going to bite your head off. Yeah, maybe. Maybe that’s the way he was in New England. I haven’t seen him like that since he got to North Carolina.”
It’s an interesting change in tone from the head coach. Whether it’s because he’s happy in his new job in college football or softening with age, it’s already clear that he is taking a much softer approach to speaking with the media in his first year at North Carolina.
The head coach even began his fall camp press conference by wishing the media good morning, appearing to show more emotion and joy than he ever did in New England.
It will be interesting to see how Belichick’s attitude toward the media develops depending on how the Tar Heels perform during the 2025 season. Expectations are high because of the legendary status he brings to the program, and people want results.
If he does not deliver in year one, the media may turn on him quickly, which could cause Belichick to revert to his old approach with the press. Still, he seems very happy to be in Chapel Hill and may finally be changing his tune when it comes to answering media questions.
