Bill Belichick may be an unconventional hire for North Carolina, but that doesn’t mean he is doomed to fail at the college level. Just ask Deion Sanders, who has already stamped his seal of approval on this move by the Tar Heels.
Sanders’ brash coaching style ruffled feathers at Jackson State, and some wondered how it would translate to an FBS program. In just his second season at Colorado, Sanders led the team to a 9-3 record and narrowly missed a Big 12 Championship Game appearance.
The morning after North Carolina announced Belichick as its next coach, Sanders went on social media and called it a “great thing” for the program.
Belichick was a legend at the NFL level. In his 24 seasons as the head coach of the New England Patriots, he led the team to a 302-165 regular-season record and six Super Bowl wins.
The question now is whether the 72-year-old can adapt to the ever-changing landscape of college football. Sanders is a great fit for the NIL and NCAA Transfer Portal era, but what about Belichick?
Our own CBS Sports college football insiders spoke to those within college football, and the reaction to Belichick’s hiring was mixed.
“While everyone should want to play for the legendary coach, and absorb all the knowledge, the style that Bill used in New England will make it tough to retain talent given the modern landscape of college football,” an anonymous former FBS head coach said.
It will be fascinating to see how the Belichick era unfolds in Chapel Hill, and it will begin next August with a home game against TCU.
