By R.L. Bynum
CHARLOTTE — It’s too early to tell if North Carolina will be better than last season, but Coach Bill Belichick said Friday morning at ACC Kickoff that the culture has already gotten better.
Belichick pointed to the work players have put in since spring practice as the clearest sign of progress.
“The players have worked really hard. It’s a good group. Love working with these guys,” he said, adding that the staff is eager to move from installation to live work. “We’re right around the corner from getting out on the field and calling plays and blocking, tackling, catching, throwing, kicking, all that. So, we’ll be ready to go shortly.”
A year ago, the Tar Heels were still finding their footing after a wave of roster turnover. There has been a good bit of turnover again, but Belichick emphasized how different the situation was then compared to where the program stands heading into preseason practice.
Last year, UNC didn’t have a quarterback who had taken a snap in spring practice. This time, quarterbacks Miles O’Neill, Billy Edwards Jr. and Travis Burgess were involved in spring practice.
“Last year we didn’t have any player run practices [during the summer],” Belichick said. “We couldn’t actually line up a team and run against another team without the coaches being out there because we don’t have anybody who can do enough on either side of the ball to do that.”
This summer, there were a lot of seven-on-seven drills, including for players with enough experience to do it.
“Culture is a lot different. Work ethic’s different,” Belichick said. “Not taking anything away from the guys that were here, but compared to a year ago, we know a lot more about what we’re doing, how to do it, and our culture is a little different.
That continuity, Belichick said, has allowed coaches to focus on fundamentals and installation rather than basic teaching.
“In the spring, really, it’s a lot of teaching and installation. A lot of it’s just installed in basic fundamentals, basic techniques, basic plays,” he said, praising offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino’s experience and the balance he brings to the offense. “He brings a lot of confidence in the offense and a very balanced attack. We saw that in the spring.”
Recruiting and roster construction remain works in progress, Belichick acknowledged, but he said the staff has been more selective this cycle.
“The biggest thing last year was just how behind we were in the recruiting of all the players that signed in December. So, we’re picking up leftovers there. We’re picking up leftovers on the portal,” he said, then added that this year’s continuity and a full season training program have changed the tenor of the offseason.
Belichick described his approach to building culture as incremental: raise standards, then raise them again once the team reaches a new level.
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“You keep pushing them to higher ground, and when they reach that, then you raise the bar and go to a higher standard. That’s what training is. That’s what progress is in anything,” he said, emphasizing the need for a solid foundation before accelerating development.
That foundation, he added, should allow the Tar Heels to move more quickly through preseason camp than they could a year ago.
“Last year when it started, we were literally starting from scratch. We’re above that now for sure,” he said
On the quarterback competition and other position battles, Belichick was measured but optimistic.
“We haven’t played a game,” he said. “Everybody’s kind of gotten equal opportunity, and we’ll see how things sort out now as we get closer to the season.”
Belichick enters the season stressing preparation and process over noise and spectacle.
“I control what I control. So, try to do the best I can every day,” he said. “Be prepared. Take things as they come. Try to help the team in the university any way I can. Try to move on to our next step.”
UNC schedule
| Month/ date | Score/ time | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| August | ||
| 29 | Noon, ESPN | vs.TCU in Dublin, Ireland |
| September | ||
| 12 | Noon, ACCN | vs. ETSU |
| 19 | Noon, ESPN | at Clemson |
| October | ||
| 3 | TBA | vs. Notre Dame |
| 10 | TBA | at Pittsburgh |
| 17 | TBA | at Duke |
| 24 | TBA | vs. Syracuse |
| 31 | TBA | vs. Miami |
| November | ||
| 7 | TBA | at UConn |
| 14 | TBA | vs. Louisville |
| 21 | TBA | at Virginia |
| 28 | TBA | vs. N.C. State |
| December | ||
| 5 | noon, ABC | ACC championship game in Charlotte |
