By R.L. Bynum
Bill Belichick on a college sideline? Sonny Dykes still can’t quite believe it, but that’s the challenge TCU faces Monday when the Horned Frogs travel to North Carolina for their season opener.
“Never thought I would,” Dykes said at his Wednesday press conference about coaching against the six-time Super Bowl champion head coach. “Just assumed he would always coach in the NFL and assumed I would always coach in college.”
Yet here they are. For Dykes, the matchup is as fascinating as it is unpredictable since there is no game tape of Belichick’s Carolina team.
“Hard, hard to game plan,” he said. “We don’t have much of an idea exactly what we’re going to see.”
That uncertainty runs deep. It’s a first game. It’s a new staff. And it’s Belichick, a coach who built a dynasty on doing whatever it took to win.
“To me, [it’s] just figuring out how to win,” Dykes said. “His teams won a lot of different ways, depending on his personnel and who were the best players.”
Dykes expects many of the same principles that worked in New England to carry over.
“My guess is a lot of those things that he did well as the head coach of the Patriots … we’re going to see a lot of those things,” he said. “He does a really good job teaching, and these are the things he believes in.”
Dykes begins his fourth season in Fort Worth after leading the Horned Frogs to 27 wins in three seasons and earning National Coach of the Year honors in the 2022 season, when they advanced to the national championship game.
He also knows a little about facing a high-profile coach in his debut after losing 45–42 to Colorado in Deion Sanders’ first game coaching the Buffaloes in 2023.
If Belichick’s presence wasn’t enough to make the opener unique, the setting adds even more intrigue. This will be Dykes’ first game at UNC’s Kenan Stadium, the game is sold out and it will be the only college game that night.
“Never been there before,” Dykes said. “It’ll be the first time I’ve ever coached in the stadium.”
He expects an electric atmosphere for the Tar Heels’ opener under their new coach.
“Should be a great crowd and great environment to coach and play in,” Dykes said.
Belichick won’t be the only new face for Dykes to deal with. UNC quarterback Gio Lopez will make his first start, and TCU has tried to learn all it can from video of him during his two seasons at South Alabama.
“He’s a good player,” Dykes said. “Throws the ball well, can move around, can extend plays.”
What really stood out, though, was the intangibles.
“You could tell he had some charisma and inspired confidence in his teammates,” Dykes said.
If the opponent wasn’t unusual enough, the calendar adds another wrinkle. TCU has to wait until Monday night to play, while the rest of college football kicks off over the weekend.
“The bad thing is we got to wait till Monday to play,” Dykes said, before joking about how players will fill the time. “There’s no football on that day, and so your players are sitting around watching soap operas … or ‘The View.’ I’m sure a lot of our players watch ‘The View,’ so they can really get caught up with Joy [Behar] and what’s going on in her life.”
The laughter didn’t hide the truth: Dykes knows the extended break changes preparation.
“Every day is important from a preparation standpoint,” he said. “You never know when one walkthrough prevents a guy from making a critical mistake.”
Dykes didn’t try to overcomplicate the key to Monday. With all the unknowns, he wants his players to focus on themselves.
“It’s more about just going out and executing,” he said. “Taking care of the football, playing smart, not having penalties.”
He repeated the message for emphasis.
“No pre-snap penalties, no nothing silly,” Dykes said. “Just play a clean football game.”
And get ready for whatever Belichick has in store.
Photo via YouTube screenshot
tarheeltribune.com 