While the 2024 NFL season is heading for the home stretch, college football dominated the headlines when Bill Belichick agreed to become the new head coach at the University of North Carolina.
Belichick was widely expected to return to the NFL, but the legendary New England Patriots head coach decided it was time to join the collegiate ranks.
The 72-year-old was warmly received at his introductory press conference, going as far as to say that it’s his dream job.
Belichick’s father was an assistant coach for UNC in the 1950s, so it’s a full-circle moment for his family.
Though there is optimism that Belichick can successfully lead a college football program, one analyst believes that there’s going to be a steep learning curve.
“I think he’s going to be in for an awakening and realize that these jobs are not that easy. … I just think it’s going to be harder than he thinks it’s going to be,” Nicole Auerbach said, via NBC Sports.
Time will tell if Bill Belichick is ready for the challenges of college football. pic.twitter.com/z7K1O4NJ1s
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) December 13, 2024
Coaching college players as opposed to NFL professionals is a challenge in its own right, but Belichick will have several other obstacles and adjustments he’ll need to make.
It’s hard to imagine someone like Belichick struggling to coach a football team, though Auerbach has a point that the college game is just different than the NFL.
So, it’ll be interesting to see how Belichick fares on campus come next season.
