Bill Belichick’s hiring at UNC has sent shockwaves through the sports world, transcending just college football. Rarely, if ever, has a coach of his caliber transitioned from the pinnacle of professional success to what many view as a step down. After all, an ACC football program like the North Carolina Tar Heels is far removed from the grandeur of the New England Patriots dynasty.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith echoed this sentiment during Thursday’s episode of First Take, calling the move a surprising turn for the legendary coach.
“I do think that job is beneath him,” Smith said. “I applaud the University of North Carolina for hiring him. Very smart on their part. But when’s the last time North Carolina football has really, really been relevant in the national championship picture or anything like that?”
.@stephenasmith believes the UNC football HC job is “beneath” Bill Belichick.
“I’m not going to say it was not wise for him to take the job. I’m simply saying it’s beneath him, meaning that this man is the greatest ever.” pic.twitter.com/KLe6UIPHug
— First Take (@FirstTake) December 12, 2024
Smith’s skepticism is rooted in UNC’s football history. While the Tar Heels are renowned for their dominance in basketball and women’s soccer, their football program has struggled to achieve sustained success. North Carolina has only eight double-digit win seasons in its history and just one in the past two decades. Although the Tar Heels competed for the ACC title in 2022, they haven’t won the conference championship since 1980.
“For Bill Belichick, I’m not going to say it was not wise for him to take the job,” Smith added. “I’m simply saying it’s beneath him, meaning that this man is the greatest ever. … For there to be eight head coach openings in the NFL, and him not get one, to see teams like Cincinnati and Jacksonville and Dallas and others in the NFL where we anticipate at least in some of those places where change could be taking place, and for Bill Belichick to take the job at the University of North Carolina… it’s a damn shame that this is the job he had to take to be back into coaching.”
Smith concluded by lamenting that Belichick’s legacy as arguably the greatest football coach of all time warranted more than what UNC’s football history can offer.
“He’s Bill Belichick. He deserves so much more than the history of North Carolina football warrants,” Smith said.
Belichick’s tenure at Chapel Hill will undoubtedly be one of the most closely watched storylines in college football, as fans and analysts alike debate whether his move will elevate UNC or fall short of the lofty expectations tied to his name.