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#UNC coach Bill Belichick press conference before practice on Wednesday, Aug. 20
Aug 20, 2025
#UNC coach Bill Belichick press conference before practice on Wednesday, Aug. 20
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0:00
How we doing? Good.
0:02
All right. Well, we're uh kind of
0:04
grinding through the last week of camp
0:06
here. We've got uh uh some practices
0:09
this week and then uh then obviously the
0:11
preparations for TCU. So, it's kind of
0:13
our last chance to really nail down um
0:16
you know the fundamentals and some of
0:18
the pillars that would take us uh
0:19
through the season um both individually
0:22
and uh individual fundamentals and also
0:25
you know some some foundational things
0:28
um offensively, defensively and in the
0:30
kicking game that will come up you know
0:32
probably in every game or or elements
0:34
will in every game. So, um hopefully
0:37
getting a little bit of heat this week.
0:39
Looks like starting to warm up. That's
0:40
good. Um and this is kind of the last
0:44
week of training camp here. We'll we'll
0:46
merge into um you know game preparations
0:49
here. Um starting next week. Uh but
0:52
we're just kind of getting through the
0:55
final stages of our um training camp
0:57
preparations for the season.
1:00
We'll start in the back middle
1:03
a just camp is finally less than two
1:06
weeks out. How do you start excitement
1:09
around the program now that you guys
1:10
aren't so close to catching?
1:13
Yeah. Well, I mean, excitement for us is
1:15
honestly every day, you know, our
1:16
meetings, our practices, our opportunity
1:18
to to get better, improve things. Um,
1:20
uh, with training camp ending and
1:22
classes starting, we're on a different
1:24
schedule, practicing in the afternoon
1:25
and so forth. So, uh, we have a little
1:28
less time with the players, a little
1:29
different schedule, but, um, trying to
1:32
make the most of that time. We're on
1:33
the, um, you know, the 20our rule now.
1:36
uh different than training camp. So,
1:39
um you know, it's we it's a little
1:41
adjustment, but we're still uh we're
1:44
ready for it. It's time to time to get
1:46
into preparation for games and start
1:48
playing games here, you know, in less
1:50
than two weeks.
1:51
Thanks.
1:52
Front row on the left,
1:55
Adam Smith in South Carolina. Hey, Bill.
1:58
Just wanted to ask with as you talk
2:00
about shifting gears into game prep mode
2:03
next week because that first game is on
2:06
a Monday and then you turn around and
2:08
you got what 5 days to the second game.
2:10
Like when you get into next week is are
2:13
there challenges in terms of the actual
2:16
game prep where it's not a normal week
2:19
leading up to a Saturday? Is it how will
2:21
you how do you think you'll try to
2:22
navigate that?
2:25
Um well it'll be similar to what we had
2:28
in the NFL where we had Sunday and
2:29
Thursday games. Um every team in the NFL
2:31
had a Thursday game. Uh so um that goes
2:35
all the way back to some Thanksgiving
2:36
games. Um really at the beginning of my
2:39
career we had those. So that Sunday to
2:42
Thursday is um you know is quick
2:44
turnaround. Um it only happens one time.
2:47
So uh that'll be a little bit different
2:49
than all the rest of the weeks. But, um,
2:51
yeah, we'll try to, you know, make the
2:54
most of that opportunity in in
2:55
compliance with uh our time constraints
2:58
and and rules and travel and so forth.
3:01
Um, but it it is what it is. Uh, we
3:05
we've talked about it. We planned for
3:06
it, but we're not worried about it right
3:07
now. We'll deal with that when we get to
3:09
it. Um, you know, the Monday night game
3:11
is is uh since it's the opening game, it
3:14
doesn't really we just pretend like it's
3:16
a Saturday game and back everything back
3:18
um on a daily basis to make Monday look
3:21
like Saturday. It'll be the next short
3:23
week that'll that'll have the bigger
3:24
adjustment. Thanks, Adam.
3:29
Yeah, please.
3:30
Andrew Jones 247.
3:31
Andrew, what have you learned from both
3:34
the scrimmage? How you guys had a chance
3:35
to hit a lot the last week and a half?
3:38
Uh it's it's really all about
3:40
fundamentals. It's it's all about
3:42
fundamentals. Um there are times when we
3:44
do things well and they look good and
3:46
then there's times when we fundamentally
3:49
don't do things well and they don't look
3:51
good. And so it's really about
3:53
consistency, footwork, and um especially
3:56
on the offensive line, all five guys
3:57
seeing the game kind of through one set
3:59
eyes. um all recognizing what the front
4:03
is, what our adjustments are in the
4:04
blocking schemes and how the five of us
4:07
are going to block uh five opponents or
4:09
or six in pass protection if there's a
4:11
duel on or something like that. Um but
4:14
making sure that all five of us see it
4:15
the same way cuz if one of us is off
4:18
then that's a problem. So, um, but the
4:22
little things, the fundamentals, the
4:23
footwork, the hand placement, the, um,
4:25
you know, the blocking techniques, uh,
4:28
and defensively, uh, you know, defeating
4:30
one-on-one blocks, defeating double team
4:32
blocks, defeating combination blocks,
4:34
um, as well as transitioning from the
4:36
running game to pass rushing, play
4:38
action passes, and then our pass rush on
4:40
third down. A lot of different skills
4:42
that need to be, um, uh, worked on in
4:45
pads, in competitive contact situations
4:47
that we weren't able to do. And so we're
4:50
making progress on all those, but when
4:51
when you look at it, it's it's a it's a
4:54
decent amount. And then we start adding
4:55
pass rush games and run stunts where
4:58
multiple people are involved in in uh
5:00
movement on the defensive line. Again,
5:02
it involves more than just my technique.
5:04
It also involves collectively two or
5:06
three of us working together on on
5:08
different stunts and so forth. So, um
5:12
you know, it's more to work on that than
5:13
we have time to work on. Um we're moving
5:15
ahead with it. Um, you know, we like
5:18
everybody else, if you we had six weeks
5:20
to prepare, we could use all six, but we
5:22
don't, uh, we'll take the time that we
5:24
have and, you know, we'll be ready to go
5:25
and go on from there.
5:26
Quick follow on that. You said it before
5:28
you guys started. That's where you need
5:30
a lot more answers with those guys when
5:32
you start.
5:32
Yes. You got have you gotten a lot of
5:34
the answers you were looking for on this
5:35
size?
5:36
Well, as I said, it's it's very much of
5:37
a work in progress. Um, but we know a
5:39
lot more than we did for sure. A lot
5:41
more. But uh we still have a long way to
5:43
go and and players are improving and
5:45
we'll just see what the rates of
5:46
improvement are. You know, some guys are
5:48
are maybe improving at this kind of rate
5:50
and other guys here and then there's a
5:51
talent level and then it's how players
5:53
work together. Um it's not necessarily
5:56
um
5:59
you know
6:02
these five players individually. it's
6:04
what five players collectively uh
6:07
function together the best and and some
6:09
of that involves communication and um
6:11
adjustments and so forth. And so um
6:14
again, we're just trying to find not
6:16
only the best players, but ultimately
6:17
the best offensive line combination that
6:20
works. Um and so, you know, we've also
6:22
moved some players around a little bit
6:24
so that um you know, centers and guards,
6:27
a little bit of guard and tackle, swing
6:29
tackles. Uh again just to try to make
6:31
sure that we give everybody an
6:33
opportunity but at the same time not
6:34
make it too confusing or um you know too
6:38
much of a you know mental gymnastics.
6:41
Want want to play aggressively but uh
6:43
the flexibility would help them both in
6:45
their career and also in their
6:47
understanding of what other players are
6:49
doing on the same play which will
6:51
hopefully help them play better. So it's
6:54
a combination of those things.
6:56
Mhm.
6:56
Right next door.
6:57
Hey Bill no stops. Sorry. Nice to meet
7:00
you. Um, Alex Taylor's meeting with us
7:01
today. What have you seen out of him
7:03
this fall and where have you seen him
7:04
grow most?
7:07
Um, well, again, I've only seen him
7:09
since the spring, right? I mean, I
7:11
wasn't here with him last year, but um,
7:14
smart guy, very dependable. Uh, can play
7:16
multiple positions. Um, you know, has
7:19
been productive in in multiple areas. uh
7:22
you know down the field and as a route
7:24
runner um and making adjustments in the
7:27
passing game based on you know rolled
7:29
coverage, off coverage, press coverage,
7:31
things like that. So he's one of the one
7:33
of the players that the quarterbacks
7:34
have a lot of confidence and trust in
7:36
that he's earned uh through you know
7:38
making good decisions and and being
7:40
appendable over you know multiple days,
7:43
weeks and and and routes. So um you know
7:47
glad we have him but really like the
7:48
versatility that he brings. you can line
7:50
up in a couple different spots for us
7:51
and and that helps you uh formationally.
7:55
Mhm.
7:56
Middle left there.
7:59
You check your your career is you've
8:01
checked from almost every box of
8:02
championships and so forth. You've done
8:04
a lot of things. A lot of people would
8:05
have said, "I'm good with this, but
8:07
you're still here. You're on ground zero
8:09
building the college program for the
8:10
first time." What is it you think that
8:13
keeps you as hooked to this sport to
8:15
building the teams and preparing for a
8:17
game? What do you think of the most the
8:19
part that has you the most?
8:22
Yeah, really all of it. I mean, I enjoy
8:24
all of it. Um, I enjoy the the bringing
8:28
players onto the team, whether that's
8:29
recruiting or transfer or scouting those
8:32
players, uh, evaluating them. Um, I
8:35
enjoy the team building. Um, you know,
8:37
bring the team together, seeing these
8:39
guys come together and learn how to
8:41
become a team. Uh, the strategy, the X's
8:43
and O's and and the competition of it.
8:45
Um it's a great conference. There's a
8:47
lot of great players and teams in this
8:49
conference, great coaches. Um had an
8:51
opportunity to spend some time with them
8:52
in a couple different um you know, ACC
8:55
functions and um you know, guys like
8:57
Billy O'Brien that are you know, great
8:59
coaches. Davo um ton of respect for them
9:02
and the programs they run. So, um I you
9:05
know I enjoy all of it and um and hope
9:08
that I can help our players and our our
9:09
coaches and our team perform uh well by
9:12
doing my job and you know giving
9:14
leadership to the program.
9:15
As a quick follower, is it is it much of
9:17
a different vibe than going through
9:19
building a team in the NFL level? I mean
9:21
is it is it football is football or does
9:24
it feel different at the college level
9:25
in that regard?
9:27
Well, I mean, it's definitely different.
9:29
Uh, the dynamics are different. Um, once
9:32
you actually have the players, I mean,
9:33
that's I would say more similar. Um, but
9:36
you know, Mike Lombardi, Mike's got a
9:38
ton of experience doing this. He's been
9:40
great to work with. Um, he's got a good
9:42
staff. We have a lot of people who have
9:44
experiences either with us or um,
9:47
similar to the way we want to try to do
9:49
things and and build a program and
9:51
that's been really helpful. Um, but the
9:55
actual, you know, coaching the players,
9:57
that's the coaching part of it. When you
9:59
talk about building a program, you know,
10:00
that's very much of a collaborative
10:02
effort between, uh, the scouting and
10:04
recruiting department and the coaching
10:06
staff and and and the support staff as
10:08
well for for trying to bring things
10:10
together. So, um, you know, training's a
10:13
big part of that with Moses and his
10:14
staff. Um, there's a lot of team
10:16
building that goes on there. There's a
10:17
lot of team development, improvement
10:19
that goes on there. So, you know, are
10:22
the players as strong or as fast as they
10:25
are when they're 23, 24, 26 years old? U
10:29
probably not. But I would say the rate
10:31
of improvement is a lot higher here.
10:33
We've seen a lot more growth and
10:34
improvement than what we would in the
10:35
NFL in terms of, you know, percentages
10:38
and and um and and the raw numbers. you
10:41
know, maybe not quite to the the
10:43
heights, but the the rate of improvement
10:45
and the and the growth percentage-wise
10:47
has been um m much greater than what we
10:51
ever saw in the NFL. So, you know, you
10:54
you know that you're helping the players
10:55
improve and they see themselves
10:57
improving and generally speaking, they
10:58
want to work harder so they can see more
11:00
of it. So, it's been very refreshing and
11:02
and um say satisfying and we'll see what
11:05
we do on the field, but that's you know,
11:07
we're coming along there, too. We'll see
11:09
how it turns out. back right.
11:12
Michael with Carolina Sports Network,
11:14
what are the challenges that you had in
11:16
building cohesion with your offensive
11:18
line in such a compressed amount of
11:20
time? And as a as a side to that, is
11:22
there any adjustment that needs to be
11:24
made or coached with your offensive line
11:27
based on whether they have a left-handed
11:28
or right-handed quarterback in the game?
11:31
Uh yeah, I think the lefty righty thing
11:34
has uh you know, a little bit involved
11:35
with play calling, especially, you know,
11:37
play action passes, things like that
11:38
when you have to turn your back on the
11:40
defense and the footwork. Um you know, I
11:43
think if you you go back and look at u
11:46
uh like coach Walsh, Bill Walsh, uh you
11:49
know, he's a player that that with or I
11:51
mean a coach that's talked a lot about
11:52
that from Montana to Steve Young as an
11:55
example and and things like that, how it
11:57
changed their offense and and I would
11:58
agree with a lot of those. fundamentally
12:00
it's the same but there are some nuances
12:02
that are a little bit different. Um
12:05
yeah, the thing with the offensive line
12:06
again as I mentioned was just the
12:08
individual personal development for each
12:10
player, but also collectively how they
12:12
work together as a unit and and um you
12:15
know sometimes if you if you have to
12:17
make an adjustment, a player's out um
12:20
you know, do you move the player behind
12:22
him ahead or do you move somebody else
12:24
from another position over and move
12:26
somebody up at that position where there
12:28
maybe a little more depth, things like
12:29
that. Maybe it's a combination of both.
12:31
Um, but those are the kind of things
12:33
that it's it's sure it's the five guys
12:34
that are out there, but um I know from
12:38
experience that very rarely does any
12:40
team play with the same five offensive
12:42
linemen uh through the entire season. Uh
12:45
it just statistically doesn't happen
12:47
very often. It's great when it does, but
12:50
usually that's not the case. And um I
12:53
think you're probably talking about, you
12:54
know, 10 to 15% of the NFL teams where
12:58
where you would see that it was, you
13:00
know, maybe a couple teams a year, but
13:01
for the most part, everybody had to deal
13:03
with some type of changes on the
13:05
offensive line. And and and I'm sure
13:07
that's true in college football, too,
13:09
based on, you know, the time I spent
13:11
scouting it. So, um so that's what you
13:14
have to be ready for. you have to be
13:15
ready to put your best guys out there um
13:18
in the best positions, but also stuff
13:21
happens and then you have to be ready to
13:22
adjust and and what are those
13:24
adjustments and you know, but the the
13:26
lefty righty thing I think is it there's
13:28
some nuances to it. No doubt about it. I
13:30
don't think it's dramatic though. I
13:32
think you could still you know, you run
13:33
your offense the way you run your
13:35
offense.
13:36
back left
13:39
from Muriel. How close do you think you
13:41
are in being a starting quarterback and
13:43
how you evaluate that competition so
13:45
far?
13:46
Yeah, we're getting ready to do that
13:47
this afternoon, announce the starting
13:48
lineups and the play times and and uh
13:50
how we'd be substituting everything. So,
13:53
um Brandon will get that to you as soon
13:55
as soon as we get done. We we want to
13:56
make sure we get that out there right
13:58
away.
13:59
All right, sounds good.
14:01
If Michael
14:04
I appreciate the chief um last time you
14:06
did talk to you about moving to the
14:08
evaluation stage.
14:10
What have you kind of taken away from
14:12
that so far?
14:13
Uh yeah, there's no doubt some players
14:14
have separated themselves uh from others
14:16
and that's um excuse me. Yeah, that's a
14:21
big part of what uh last week and this
14:23
week really are about are the
14:25
evaluations and and the separation who's
14:27
earned playing time uh who's earned
14:29
positions and and who hasn't. Um I think
14:32
that you know will be finalized at a
14:34
later point in time but certainly it's
14:36
starting to uh there's starting to be
14:38
some separation and and um you know
14:40
experience can be a big factor in that.
14:42
That's always a hard one when a player
14:44
who's um
14:47
um maybe less talented but more
14:49
experienced outperforms a player who's
14:52
less experienced and more talented. And
14:54
then you you just as a coach wonder
14:56
what'll happen when that less
14:57
experienced player gains the experience
14:59
because he has more talent and maybe
15:01
more potential. Um you know when does
15:04
that when do those lines when those
15:06
lines cross and when does the younger
15:07
less experienced player you know
15:09
overtake the other one? What's what's
15:11
the you know what's the timeline on
15:13
that? And I'd say that's uh you know a
15:16
little bit of the challenge here uh in
15:18
college football is there's a little bit
15:20
less time to make that. you know, you
15:21
have the three preseason games in the
15:23
NFL and a couple scrimmages and
15:25
sometimes that we'll start to to declare
15:28
a little bit quicker. Um, you know,
15:30
here, you know, we'll see how they play
15:32
when they actually play in games. Um,
15:34
you know, we don't have the preseason
15:35
games, so we'll just see how all that
15:37
works out. But, yeah, there's definitely
15:39
some separation that's that's occurred.
15:41
And, um, and I I wouldn't be surprised
15:44
if a couple things change from where we
15:46
are now to a week from now, but we'll
15:48
just have to see how that turns out. I
15:50
can't tell you how players are going to
15:51
perform. That'll be up to them.
15:54
Front roll,
15:55
Bill Rod Bashley, Fable Observer. How
15:57
would you describe the physicality
16:00
you've seen so far in in the live
16:02
periods, full pads, and has it lived up
16:04
to your standards at this point with the
16:06
group?
16:07
Yeah, you know, we've done a lot more
16:08
live work here than than we ever did in
16:10
the NFL at any team I was ever on. Um,
16:14
so that part of it's been uh actually an
16:17
interesting thing to see. You know, some
16:18
of the the coaches that are on our staff
16:20
that have had a lot of college
16:21
experience uh have have talked about the
16:23
necessity to do that. Again, obviously
16:25
without preseason games, it's, you know,
16:28
it we do need to do it and we've done
16:30
it. Um, and so it's been good. The
16:32
intensity has been good. The
16:33
competitiveness has been good. I think,
16:35
you know, we've really emphasized trying
16:37
to uh practice uh learn how to practice
16:39
and practice um very competitively, but
16:43
at the same time, you know, taking
16:44
safety into account, knowing that we're,
16:46
you know, got to take care of our
16:48
teammates and and the players have done
16:49
a really good job adapting to that. Um
16:52
we we really haven't had too many
16:54
issues. Um very few injuries to deal
16:56
with. Um and even though we've had quite
16:58
a bit of contact uh in our padded days.
17:01
So, um I think that part's been really
17:04
really good. The amount of contact that
17:06
we've had with the very few guys, you
17:08
know, losing any playing time at all
17:10
because of it has been has been good.
17:14
Last one on the left here.
17:16
Uh Grant,
17:19
um there's been a lot of talk in regards
17:20
to the cost of playoff and expansion of
17:23
course commissioner Tony Gi brought out
17:25
a model where he can expand to 24 to 28
17:28
teams. uh what's your thoughts about
17:31
that and are there kind of any
17:32
similarities with the expansion on the
17:34
cost of the playoffs and the NFL?
17:38
Um yeah, thanks. I think that one's uh
17:41
kind of over my pay grade. Um you know,
17:43
I have a ton of respect for Tony. I
17:45
think Tony's done a great job as as
17:47
commissioner of the Big 10 and and uh
17:49
and Greg too in the SEC for that matter.
17:51
Um, and whatever the conference uh
17:54
commissioners and the NCAA and the
17:56
college presidents decide is what they
17:59
decide. Um, I'm going to kind of back
18:02
out of that one. Um, and whatever it is,
18:04
it is. Um, I'm try to focus on getting
18:06
our team ready to to play this season
18:08
and do the best I can here. and um I'm
18:11
not sure I know all the information and
18:13
all the uh the the um ramifications of
18:17
those decisions and how it impacts, you
18:21
know, academics and college and
18:24
conference playoffs and everything else.
18:25
It's just I just don't think I I'm I'm
18:28
the right person to talk to about that.
18:29
So, um
18:32
but I'm not going to get into debate
18:33
with Tony Patiti. I have a ton of
18:34
respect for Tony and if that's his
18:36
opinion, I'm sure he's got a good basis
18:38
for saying it. Um, and there may be
18:41
other opinions that, you know, I'm not
18:42
aware of that also have a lot of
18:44
validity. So, thank you. Sorry I can't
18:47
be more helpful on that one.
18:49
Thank you guys.
18:50
All right. Thanks a lot.
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