By R.L. Bynum
North Carolina Coach Bill Belichick sought to quiet speculation Monday about his commitment to the program while also acknowledging that the staff has learned from some early missteps.
The tone at his press conference ahead of Friday night’s game at California was steady, as he made it clear that this has been a season of lessons.
“Some of the reports out last week about my looking for a buyout and trying to leave here and all that, it’s categorically false,” Belichick said. “There’s zero truth to any of that. Glad I’m here. We’re working towards our goals and the process.”
He credited UNC leadership, saying he’s had great support from Chancellor Lee Roberts, Athletics Director Bubba Cunningham and others and reaffirmed that “we just believe very much in the process. Like Bill Walsh said, ‘the score will take care of itself.’ ”
Belichick said that his midweek statement clarifying his commitment was necessary after “some things that were reported that were just factually, totally inaccurate.” He added, “Just for clarification. I mean, there were a lot of things that … were just factually, totally inaccurate.”
Asked about reports of unrest among players and parents, Belichick pushed back sharply.
“Yeah, I mean, I’m with all these people every day, coaches, players on the field,” he said. “Our guys work hard. They have a great attitude, great energy, and we’ve shown a lot of improvement. I don’t know what kind of perspective some of those people have that are saying that.”
Despite UNC’s 2–3 start, Belichick insisted that he remains 100% confident in the program’s direction.
“It’s a learning curve,” he said. “We’re all in it together, but we’re making a lot of progress, and the process will eventually produce the results like they have everywhere else I’ve been. So, I’m very confident in that.”
Belichick admitted there were evaluation mistakes early on.
“Yeah, look, when we got here, we had three defensive linemen,” he said. “You can’t practice three defensive linemen. We went out and signed a lot of players. We signed players who didn’t have offers, or offers that they didn’t want, and we did the best we could.”
He added that some choices could have been better.
“Could we have done some things going after some different players or whatever? Yeah, sure, of course,” he said.
Still, he credited General Manager Michael Lombardi for significantly improving the roster.
“I think Michael and his staff did a great job of upgrading the roster,” he said, noting that “our football team is a lot better than what it was at the end of spring ball.”
Belichick also spoke about the challenge of transitioning from the NFL to the college game.
“We look, we evaluate everything we do on a regular basis,” he said. “There are always things we can do better, and it’s always things that we are trying to find a better way, or a more efficient way to do. So that will never change.”
Though he acknowledged that fans and donors are impatient, Belichick emphasized that growth precedes results.
“Everybody’s most interested in the final score, and I’m at the top of that list,” he said. “But, again, it’s a process. You build a culture, you build a program, and eventually the results will come.”
He pointed to his experiences in Cleveland, New England, and with the New York Giants as evidence that patience pays off.
“We don’t have a show for it on the scoreboard, on the field yet. But again, that will come,” Belichick said. “I’ve been involved in a lot of programs — where things started, where they ended up were honestly where they should go, and what you should expect. That didn’t always happen the first year.”
Belichick reaffirmed his belief in his players and staff despite the scrutiny.
“Our team is our team, and you know, I like our team. I’m confident in our team, we made a lot of progress,” he said. “And right now, unfortunately, the scoreboard doesn’t reflect that, but I’m very confident that it will.”
| Team | ACC | All |
|---|---|---|
| No. 16 Virginia | 7–1 | 10–2 |
| No. 12 Miami | 6–2 | 10–2 |
| No. 25 SMU | 6–2 | 8–4 |
| No. 24 Georgia Tech | 6–2 | 9–3 |
| Pittsburgh | 6–2 | 8–4 |
| Duke | 6–2 | 7–5 |
| Louisville | 4–4 | 8–4 |
| Wake Forest | 4–4 | 8–4 |
| California | 4–4 | 7–5 |
| Clemson | 4–4 | 7–5 |
| N.C. State | 4–4 | 7–5 |
| Stanford | 3–5 | 4–8 |
| Florida State | 2–6 | 5–7 |
| North Carolina | 2–6 | 4–8 |
| Virginia Tech | 2–6 | 3–9 |
| Syracuse | 1–7 | 3–9 |
| Boston College | 1–7 | 2–10 |
Friday’s result
No. 4 Georgia 16, No. 24 Georgia Tech 9
Saturday’s results
N.C. State 42, North Carolina 19
No. 12 Miami 38, Pittsburgh 7
Louisville 41, Kentucky 0
Clemson 28, South Carolina 14
Boston College 34, Syracuse 12
Duke 49, Wake Forest 32
Florida 40, Florida State 21
No. 16 Virginia 27, Virginia Tech 7
California 38, No. 25 SMU 35
No. 9 Notre Dame 49, Stanford 20
Saturday’s ACC championship game
No. 16 Virginia vs. Duke in Charlotte, 8 p.m., ABC
| 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 |
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