By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — On a drizzly, overcast early August morning, there was a different energy in the air as Carolina opened football practice, one with the unmistakable tension of high expectations.
Bill Belichick stepped to the lectern at the Kenan Football Center before his first practice as Carolina coach, expressing his brand of excitement with his signature monotone delivery.
“Good morning. How we doing?” Belichick began, scanning the room like a man who’s had this conversation a thousand times before — because he has.
His team is finally hitting the field after an offseason of intense conditioning, and his staff is quietly transforming the program.
“These guys have worked really hard,” he said. “The staff and the players in terms of the offseason program, their conditioning and all that. So we’re excited to get out on the field.”
Unlike during spring practice and at the “Practice Like a Pro” public scrimmage, the players had numbers on their jerseys as the program welcomed the media to the first 20 minutes of practice on the outdoor fields at the Koman Practice Complex.
They practiced to the strains of a variety of music, including Moneybagg Yo, Bon Jovi, Lil Wayne, Kenny Chesney, Future and Lil Baby.
It’s not full speed yet. Belichick described these early sessions as essential building blocks in the process of evaluation and integration — especially with a roster that’s been stitched together through traditional recruiting, the transfer portal, and strategic roster reshuffling.
“We’ve got a couple of days here of acclimation, so [it won’t be] our full training camp practices yet,” he said. “But it’s just part of the process. Give everybody a good opportunity to get acclimated — on the field and with their teammates, communication, adjustments, things like that.”
For a coach used to joint practices and preseason games during his NFL career, the college schedule presents a challenge. Having to prepare for the season without seeing his team go up against another opponent, Belichick acknowledged, leads to uncertainty.
“There’s a little bit more of an unknown,” Belichick said. “Even the guys that were here — they weren’t here with us. How exactly they’ll react in game situations, under pressure, how quickly and easily we’ll be able to adjust or not adjust — we’re gonna have to find that out on the run.”
Still, he insists it’s the same challenge every team faces, so it didn’t seem to faze him.
When asked, point-blank, if he’s excited, he didn’t flinch.
“Yeah, it’s great,” he said. “To see all those guys come together, to see the players who are here train hard and make significant improvements in their strength, explosion and speed… It’s exciting to see what they’re gonna be able to do on the field.”
As always with Belichick, the external hype — and there’s plenty of it, with national media watching his every move in Chapel Hill — is not the focus.
“Regardless of whoever’s here or isn’t here, that’s out of our control,” he said. “We have a job to do. And a lot of it is just noise. We’ve seen all the preseason rankings … great, but that isn’t gonna affect us.”
The quarterback competition, a natural focal point for any program, is still ongoing with South Alabama junior transfer Gio Lopez, senior Max Johnson and freshman Bryce Baker battling it out. All of them participated in drills in the drizzle, along with freshman Au’Tori Newkirk and sophomore DJ Mazzone.
Belichick emphasized the importance of earning the job over being named early.
“What you generally don’t want to do is pick player A and then end up going to player B. Let them compete,” Belichick said. “The player who plays the best and earns that playing time will get it.”
Pressed on when a decision might come, Belichick offered a timeline only he could love: “The sooner, the better. But it’s better to make the right decision than a quick decision.”
Offensively, coordinator Freddie Kitchens will run the show, with Belichick offering the kind of support that sounds both collaborative and quietly controlling.
“Freddie’s a very aggressive coach,” Belichick said. “[He] wants to have a physical team, physical running game, physical presence on offense. We just don’t want to run backwards on every play. I want to collectively put together the best plan and the best role for our players.”
Belichick noted Kitchens’ experience in both the NFL and college, as well as the benefit of having him already in the building. “Honestly, very helpful for me… he has a lot of experience and perspective.”
As for the back end of the roster, Belichick was predictably thorough, making it clear that no player, scholarship or not, is being overlooked.
“Those are important decisions. Some of those players eventually are going to end up helping us. I just know that’s the way it’s going to work out,” he said. “Those players are just as important as the top 10.”
He touched on the complexity of roster limits, the grandfathering of walk-ons who don’t count against the limit, and the always-shifting counting of scholarships. However, the philosophy remained constant: earn your role, prove your value, and you’ll have a place.
Evaluating players — especially high school athletes — presents a different challenge than scouting for the NFL, Belichick admitted. The volume alone makes it harder.
“We’re talking about several thousand high school players,” Belichick said. “You weren’t looking at several thousand players in the draft.”
Still, the process remains the same: Find players who fit the program, both on and off the field.
“The player who plays the best and earns that playing time will get it. Whatever they get, they’re going to earn,” he said. “We’re not handing out anything — just like nobody’s handing out wins in this conference.”
In other words, the names may be different, the logo may be Carolina blue, but the philosophy is pure Belichick.
As UNC began practice for the first time under its new coach, it was clear that this team would not be built on hype, headlines, or history.
It’ll be built the same way every Belichick team has ever been built — slowly, methodically, and with no interest in anyone’s approval.
Except maybe his own.
| Month/ date | Score/ time | Opponent | Record/ TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| September | |||
| 1 | L, 48–14 | vs. TCU | 0–1 |
| 6 | W, 20–3 | at Charlotte | 1–1 |
| 13 | W, 41–6 | vs. Richmond | 2–1 |
| 20 | L, 34–9 | at UCF | 2–2 |
| October | |||
| 4 | L, 38–10 | vs. Clemson | 2–3, 0–1 ACC |
| 17 (Fri.) | L, 21–18 | at California | 2–4, 0–2 |
| 25 | L, 17–16, OT | vs. No. 16 Virginia | 2–5, 0–3 |
| 31 (Fri.) | W, 27–10 | at Syracuse | 3–5, 1–3 |
| November | |||
| 8 | W, 20–15 | vs. Stanford | 4–5, 2–3 |
| 15 | L, 28–12 | at Wake Forest | 4–6, 2–4 |
| 22 | L, 32–25 | vs. Duke | 4–7, 2–5 |
| 29 | L, 42–19 | at N.C. State | 4–8, 2–6 |
Photos by Joshua Lawton
tarheeltribune.com 