North Carolina coach Bill Belichick had a rough introduction to college football as his Tar Heels team finished his first season in Chapel Hill with a woeful 4-8 record. Belichick acted quickly, firing offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens and hiring renowned college football operator Bobby Petrino in his place.
Belichick also rejuvenated his roster via the transfer portal and high school recruitments ahead of a pivotal second season in charge.
Greg McElroy Raises Red Flags About Bill Belichick’s Tar Heels
During this week’s segment of the “Always College Football” show, ESPN analyst Greg McElroy raised the various red flags around the Belichick project in Chapel Hill during spring training so far.
“If you look at where North Carolina’s expectations are coming into this coming season, not a lot of people feel great about what the Tar Heels are gonna be,” McElroy said. “The roster turnover, very little transparency around the program. They’re gonna open the season against TCU and we don’t know anything about what this team’s gonna be.
“We’re looking at LinkedIn for an update. Know that their spring is coming to a close, it’s been a quiet spring, especially when you take into account how much publicity surrounded this program last year.”
The Tar Heels had one of the worst offenses in college football last season and were No. 16 in the ACC in points per game (19.3). Meanwhile, under Petrino, the Arkansas Razorbacks were No. 19 in the country in yards per game (454.8), averaging 32.9 points and earning a PFSN College Offense Impact score of 90.0, the second best in the SEC.
Bill Belichick Cautiously Optimistic About North Carolina’s Roster
Last season, Belichick was appointed on Dec. 11, right smack in the middle of the winter transfer portal, plunging the legendary coach into a recruitment frenzy. To make it worse, the Tar Heels’ roster was further unsettled by the spring portal window, and by the start of the season, Belichick had 70 new players to integrate into the team.
While speaking to reporters at the start of spring training, Belichick was cautiously optimistic about North Carolina’s current heading.
“The big difference between this year and last year, for me, is just that we have our team now,” Belichick said.
“We didn’t have anywhere near the continuity that we expect to have this year. I think we have a lot of good leadership coming back from the guys that were with us last year. One step at a time, excited to get going.”
Mixed in with key returners like running back Demon June and wide receiver Jordan Shipp, Belichick’s spring roster features over 50 new additions, including 32 true freshmen and 18 transfer portal players, giving the former New England coach a more settled roster.
