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#UNC coach Bill Belichick press conference before Saturday's first practice.
Aug 2, 2025
#UNC coach Bill Belichick press conference before Saturday's first practice.
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0:00
you doing?
0:01
Good.
0:01
Yeah. How you doing?
0:02
All right. It's almost football season
0:03
here. Um yeah, excited to uh excited to
0:06
get started. Um you know, these guys
0:08
have worked really hard uh the staff and
0:10
and uh the players um you know, in terms
0:13
of the offseason program, their
0:14
conditioning and all that. So, um we're
0:16
we're excited to get out on the field.
0:18
Uh, you know, we got a couple days here
0:20
of acclamation. So, it'll be uh you
0:23
know, not uh not our full training camp
0:25
practices yet, but uh you know, it's
0:27
just part of the process and and um you
0:30
know, give everybody a good opportunity
0:32
to you know, to get acclimated both on
0:34
the field and with their teammates,
0:36
communication, uh adjustments, things
0:38
like that. Um you know, we have a lot of
0:40
new players. um you know 40 a little
0:43
over 40 from the spring and uh 70 from
0:47
uh 70 guys that were on last year's
0:49
team. So you know it's a lot of new
0:51
people uh to uh get um you know up to
0:54
speed again in terms of you know
0:56
communication uh just kind of the way we
0:58
practice techniques things like that.
1:01
But, uh, coaches have done a good job
1:03
of, um, you know, closing that gap and,
1:06
um, so, you know, we're excited to get
1:07
out on the field and and see it start
1:09
coming together. So, that that process,
1:12
as I said, will will start today and and
1:14
we'll build through the acclamation
1:15
period and and then really, you know,
1:17
get rolling into it next week. But, um,
1:20
you know, I think these steps are, you
1:21
know, the ones that obviously we need to
1:23
take and that are required and so we'll
1:25
we'll be in compliance with them.
1:27
We'll start right here in the center.
1:29
Andrew Jones target 247.
1:31
Among the new things that you've had to
1:33
deal with this year, now you have a
1:35
training camp in which you won't be able
1:36
to see your team against somebody else.
1:39
Uh that's obviously different for you.
1:41
Have you is there something you can do
1:43
to apprehend
1:45
as much as you can without having that
1:47
benefit of seeing them against somebody
1:48
else because the first game is the first
1:51
live action set essentially.
1:53
Yeah. Yeah. I think that's really a good
1:55
point and I've talked to, you know, a
1:56
lot of college coaches about that and I
1:58
think there's a little bit more of a um
2:00
especially for us, a little bit more of
2:02
an unknown um because even the guys that
2:05
were here, they weren't here with us and
2:07
how exactly they'll react uh in game
2:10
situations and under pressure and uh how
2:13
quickly and easily we'll be able to
2:14
adjust or not adjust and all that. We're
2:16
going to have to, you know, find out
2:17
that on the run, but um you know, it's
2:20
the same for every other team. So, um,
2:22
you know, we'll we'll work against
2:24
ourselves to a point and then at some
2:26
point we'll start doing some of the
2:27
things that we'll see from our
2:28
opponents, you know, starting with TCU
2:30
and that's, you know, what we do is a
2:32
little bit different than what some
2:33
other teams do, but we need to we need
2:35
to work on what we need to work on and
2:37
then we'll transition into a game week.
2:39
Second quick question, do you get
2:41
excited and are you excited?
2:42
Yeah, it's great. I mean, we've been we
2:44
spent a lot of time uh you know, Mike
2:46
and I spent a lot of time along with the
2:48
scouts and the coaches of putting the
2:49
team together, team building. Um that
2:52
started with the you know, the the
2:54
wrap-up of the 25 recruiting class. Uh
2:56
then the the early portal in January um
3:00
then a couple late 25 add-ons uh who
3:03
have come. Um and then obviously the the
3:07
spring portal um and we're still you
3:10
know transitioning through one or two
3:11
guys here you know at the end of the
3:12
roster. So to see all those guys come
3:15
together to see the players who are here
3:16
train hard and make significant
3:18
improvements in their strength explosion
3:20
and speed. Um and then what work we have
3:23
been able to do collectively is is very
3:26
been very encouraging. Um these guys are
3:28
bought in. They're working hard. It's
3:29
exciting to see what they're going to be
3:30
able to do on the field. So yeah, very
3:32
much looking forward to it. right behind
3:34
him here.
3:35
Aaron Beard with the AP, your presence
3:38
has brought a lot of attention to this
3:40
program. You know, every everything
3:42
you're doing is getting magnified and
3:44
you know, attention wise nationally
3:46
really.
3:47
And but for the players, that's a it's a
3:50
different challenge for the players
3:51
where the spotlight may be on them more
3:53
than it's ever been before, partly
3:55
because of you being on the sideline. I
3:57
mean, how do you manage that with a
3:59
group of guys that are young and say
4:01
keep it from being something that's
4:02
suffocating where any screw up could be
4:04
magnified because of your presence here?
4:07
Yeah. Well, I mean, again, regardless
4:09
of, and I appreciate where you're coming
4:11
from on that, but honestly, for all of
4:13
us, let's control what we can control.
4:15
Um, you know, whoever's here or isn't
4:18
here, that that's out of our control. We
4:20
have a job to do. Um, we have a lot of
4:22
work to accomplish and and we need to
4:23
come together and build our team, uh,
4:25
both on and off the field. our
4:27
chemistry, our communication and of
4:28
course our execution on the field and so
4:30
um that's our biggest challenge and and
4:32
what's external is external and you know
4:35
honestly a lot of it's just noise. It
4:37
doesn't you know we've seen all the
4:38
preseason rankings and this and that and
4:41
all and it's you know great but that
4:43
that isn't going to affect us. We're
4:44
going to you know compete on s Saturdays
4:47
and or Mondays or whatever day it is and
4:49
you know that'll determine what happens
4:51
not you know not not some predictions or
4:54
projections or anything else. So, we'll
4:56
just kind of ignore that and move on.
4:58
Right. Brian,
5:00
Brian work. How did you handle the back
5:02
end of the roster as far as the
5:04
designated student athletes? How many
5:06
scholarships you need? You know, did you
5:07
get to the 105 range above that? And
5:10
then secondly, um what have you seen out
5:12
of Max Johnson and just the way he's
5:14
attacked sort of the recovery from that
5:16
gruesome?
5:18
Yeah. Well, we'll start with Max first.
5:20
You know, Max has done a great job.
5:21
Worked really hard. uh he's made a
5:22
tremendous amount of progress throughout
5:24
the process. But really, it's that last,
5:27
you know, call it 20% between not being
5:29
able to play and and really being ready
5:32
to play and ready to start training
5:33
camp, which is where he is now. So, he's
5:35
going to start out there, but he didn't
5:36
take any meaningful snaps in the spring.
5:39
Um he worked out on his own. He threw
5:41
some routes, but he wasn't involved in
5:42
any team drills. So, um it's a big jump
5:44
for him in terms of what he's able to
5:46
do, although I think the the progression
5:48
is is, you know, very gradual. It's 1%
5:51
at a time. 1% at a time, but at some
5:53
point, you know, he's crossed that
5:54
threshold and so he'll be ready to
5:56
participate out there with with all the
5:58
other players. Um,
6:01
uh, sorry, my memory.
6:04
Oh, yeah. So, yes. So, that's a great
6:06
question. Uh, it's still a little bit of
6:07
a work in progress. Uh, our scholarships
6:09
will be under 105. Uh, we do have the
6:12
grandfather, uh, clause or rule in where
6:15
the players that were walk-ons last year
6:18
get grandfathered in. And so us probably
6:22
like most every other college team will
6:24
be actually over the 105 with those
6:26
grandfathered players on. Uh we have
6:28
some players who are not on scholarship
6:30
who are would be under call it the 105
6:33
and and obviously most of them will be
6:35
on scholarship but there are some guys
6:36
that are kind of in that gray area. Uh
6:38
maybe they can earn a scholarship
6:39
depending on what their role is and so
6:41
forth. So um from a numbers standpoint
6:43
we're we're in good shape. like we're
6:46
we're not going to have to release
6:47
players to get to the 105. Uh we already
6:50
kind of did that in the spring, which
6:52
was a difficult decision to make. Um
6:55
but, you know, I think most of those
6:57
players ended up at at uh at other
6:59
schools and we'll be playing this fall.
7:01
So, um I do think it kind of worked out
7:03
for them and that they'll you know,
7:05
they're in a situation where they'll
7:06
have a chance to play. Uh, but we're not
7:08
really going to be um restricted on the
7:12
um on the uh roster size this year. Um I
7:16
think it'll probably be something we'll
7:18
have to work on next year, but for this
7:20
year, uh you know, we're we're actually
7:22
under it.
7:24
Thanks. Yeah,
7:25
love those bottom of the roster
7:26
questions. I mean, a lot of people let
7:27
that stuff go, but honestly, those are
7:29
important decisions. Some of those
7:30
players uh eventually are going to end
7:33
up helping us. I mean, I just know
7:34
that's the way it's going to work out.
7:35
So, you know, to me, those players are
7:37
just as I they're just as important as
7:39
the top 10, but they're they're going to
7:41
be factors on our team and have roles.
7:43
So, you know, we're we're constantly
7:45
trying to make sure we, you know, from
7:47
top to bottom do the best we can. Sorry.
7:50
Yep.
7:50
Last call.
7:51
Y
7:56
just wanted to ask you about about free
7:58
kitchens and, you know, him running the
8:01
offense and stalling the offense and
8:02
just what that sort of process looks
8:04
like. You're known as a guy more for
8:07
like defensive side of all things in
8:10
your career like just what does that
8:12
look like with him um putting together
8:16
his offense? How much input have you had
8:17
on what you guys want to run offensively
8:20
and just sort of that elaboration?
8:23
Right. Well, look, I would just say
8:26
throughout my career, uh certainly as
8:28
defensive coordinator, that's definitely
8:30
been my role. But as a head coach, I've
8:32
always tried to be involved in every
8:34
aspect of the game, whether that's
8:35
offense, defense, special teams, our
8:37
strength program, our conditioning
8:39
program, uh our off the- field education
8:41
of the players, and so forth. I think
8:43
it's important for me to uh you know, be
8:46
a part of all the things that we do and
8:48
to add emphasis to the players and the
8:50
coaches or whoever's responsible for
8:52
those areas. So, um, you know, whether
8:55
it's with Mike on special teams or
8:56
Freddy or or Steve, um, you know, they
8:59
have a lot of responsibility for the
9:01
areas that they have. There's no
9:02
question about that. But, you know, from
9:04
a team standpoint, I want to
9:05
collectively put together the best plan
9:07
and the best role for our players, which
9:09
sometimes they overlap a little bit. Uh,
9:12
and so in order to do that, I kind of
9:13
have to, you know, be a part of all of
9:15
it. But in terms of Freddy, you know,
9:17
Freddy's um, a very aggressive uh,
9:20
coach. um you know is wants to you know
9:23
have a physical team, physical running
9:25
game, a physical presence on offense.
9:27
You know, we just don't want to, you
9:29
know, run backwards on every play. Like
9:30
we want to be aggressive and and we have
9:33
um you know, we think we have the
9:35
players to to run that type of offense.
9:37
I'm sure we're going to have to modify
9:38
it a little bit. Uh we have good depth
9:40
at quarterback and so we'll see how it
9:41
all plays out, but you know, Freddy has
9:43
a lot of experience, spent a lot of time
9:44
in the NFL, he spent a lot of time in
9:46
college football. Um and it's been
9:49
honestly very helpful for him. uh for me
9:52
that the fact that he was here the last
9:53
couple years. So you know he has a lot
9:55
of experience and perspective on uh some
9:58
of the things that were done that were
9:59
done you know well that we can build on
10:01
maybe some things that were changing how
10:02
that change might affect um you know
10:06
just a relative to what's happened in
10:08
the past. So um he he's been a great
10:10
great help and u I won't say addition
10:12
because he was here we're actually the
10:13
addition but you know for me he's a
10:15
great addition to my staff. Second row
10:17
on the left.
10:18
Yeah. Jeremiah all the way with inside
10:20
Carolina. Bill, you talked about Max a
10:22
second ago
10:24
quarterback with those those new guys in
10:26
there. You and his staff have a maybe
10:29
target date when you start like
10:33
[Laughter]
10:37
Yeah, I mean that's a great question.
10:39
Um, we don't have a specific date. Uh, I
10:43
think the time will be when we're sure.
10:46
Um, you know, in my experience as a as a
10:49
coach has been, you know, at that
10:52
position, uh, where you're, you know,
10:55
uh, you want to define who that is. And,
10:57
and what you generally don't want to do
10:59
is, um, pick player A and then end up
11:03
going to player B. Um, let them compete,
11:06
then once you're sure it's player B,
11:07
make it player B or player A, whoever it
11:09
goes. Um, so I think once we're once
11:12
we're confident that we know who who has
11:14
earned that spot, because that's what
11:16
it'll be. It's not us picking them.
11:17
It'll be that player earning it. Uh,
11:19
then we'll decide on that. Um, if it's
11:21
clearcut, then that player will be the
11:23
player. If it's not clear-cut, maybe the
11:25
competition will continue into the early
11:27
part of the season. And I've done that
11:28
before um at at more at other positions
11:33
than quarterback, but it could also be
11:34
at quarterback where, you know, we'll
11:36
see how it goes in the in the early part
11:37
of the season. And and if the
11:39
performance again, whoever earns it is
11:41
going to is going to be who gets it.
11:43
That's the bottom line. Um nobody's
11:45
entitled to it. Nobody's been given
11:46
anything. The player who who plays the
11:48
best and earns that playing time will
11:50
get it. And I don't know who that's
11:51
going to be. That that'll be up to them.
11:54
But it would certainly would be good to
11:55
have that done before the first game and
11:57
and maybe even, you know, two weeks
12:00
before the first game. The sooner the
12:01
better, but but it's better to make the
12:03
right decision than a quick decision. So
12:05
that's what we'll try to do. But that's
12:07
that's one of the key questions we have
12:08
to answer.
12:10
We got time for a couple more back
12:11
center back observer. Bill, with so many
12:15
unknowns and new players, what does the
12:17
preseason checklist, so to speak, look
12:19
like as far as progression throughout
12:22
these next few weeks? the tackling plan
12:24
and all that stuff.
12:25
Yeah, the biggest thing is evaluate the
12:27
team. That's what we have to do.
12:28
Evaluate the team. We sort of have an
12:30
idea of what the players who are here
12:32
that were here in the spring can do. Um
12:34
but again, I'd see I'd say a lot a lot
12:36
of those players have shown significant
12:38
improvement, uh particularly in their
12:40
strength conditioning, um their
12:42
explosion, their speed, uh and their and
12:44
their techniques that they've been
12:45
working on from the spring coaching. And
12:47
so we'll see what that looks like. Um
12:49
but then evaluate the other players, the
12:52
uh you know the many new faces that we
12:54
have here and see what what kind of role
12:56
they can carve out for themselves and
12:58
you know and how we can utilize them
12:59
once we have a better uh understanding
13:01
of their skills. I mean we can see them
13:03
uh whether it was transfer players or in
13:05
some cases uh freshmen that are coming
13:07
in. we have an idea what their skills
13:08
are and think, hey, maybe, you know,
13:11
this player can can do certain things
13:13
and this player can do certain things,
13:14
but until they actually get out on the
13:15
field and and prove it and earn it, um,
13:18
we'll give them a chance, but but
13:19
they'll have to earn that over somebody
13:20
else who, you know, is probably vying
13:22
for the same role. Uh, so big thing for
13:25
us in the next, I'd say, 10 days is to
13:27
evaluate the team and then, um, you
13:30
know, start to fine-tune it from there.
13:33
like front row
13:34
grass.
13:35
Um your resume speaks for yourself when
13:37
it comes to evaluating talent at the
13:39
highest levels, but when you're
13:40
assessing professional athletes, players
13:42
who are developing physically, mentally,
13:43
and fundamentally, what makes that
13:45
process more challenging uh not only
13:47
college and um college transfers and
13:50
high school athletes, but also are there
13:51
any specific indicators you look for
13:53
when it comes to evaluating?
13:56
Yeah. Um you you pretty much hit all the
13:59
issues right there. Uh the high school
14:02
evaluations are harder because there's
14:04
more of a discrepancy between the
14:06
players that we're evaluating, you know,
14:08
power four or high players versus
14:11
honestly other players who aren't even
14:12
going to play college football. Um you
14:14
know, high school is probably the end of
14:15
their football career and then in
14:17
between. So it's it's hard to see um you
14:21
know, sometimes it's hard to see what
14:22
the level of competition is. Of course,
14:24
you can see kids in person, uh, which we
14:26
had approximately 4,000 kids on campus
14:29
in our seven on seven camps and in our
14:31
our individual camps. Um, you know,
14:34
that's helpful. Or to go see the player
14:36
actually practice at his high school,
14:38
uh, or, um, you know, games in the fall,
14:40
which we didn't do last year, but we
14:42
could do some of that this year. So,
14:44
those things are helpful, but um, you
14:46
know, the best evaluations when they
14:47
actually get on the field and do our
14:49
stuff against our players. Um the
14:51
college out valuation I'd say is a
14:52
little bit easier similar to the NFL
14:55
free agency where you can see guys
14:57
playing at a competition level that's
14:59
more similar to ours. Um in some cases
15:02
there are guys that are going to play up
15:04
um but in other cases, you know, not. We
15:06
have a couple guys from Penn State and
15:07
Florida, you know, places like that. So
15:09
that's that's pretty good competition
15:11
right there. But um we have some other
15:13
players that have transferred in from um
15:15
let's say, you know, lower levels. Um,
15:18
so that's a little bit more challenging,
15:20
but again, it is what it is and and we
15:22
have the same opportunity everybody else
15:23
does. So, um, we're watching the same
15:25
high school film that every other school
15:27
is watching. We're watching the same
15:28
college transfer film that everybody
15:30
else is watching. And really, it's up to
15:32
us to, uh, make the right evaluation for
15:35
us and how a player fits for us, how he
15:36
fits for another team. And their system
15:38
could be two different things. we have
15:39
to do what we feel like is best for um
15:42
the development of our team and and
15:44
that's just not his on the field play
15:45
but also u the other components that he
15:48
brings his work ethic his leadership his
15:50
toughness and so forth so um it's
15:53
challenging I say the biggest challenge
15:55
of all that is just is the volume you
15:57
know we're talking about like several
15:58
thousand high school players um you
16:01
weren't looking at several thousand
16:02
players in the draft uh and then you
16:04
have the portal players which is another
16:06
couple thousand and you weren't looking
16:08
at a couple thousand free agents in the
16:10
NFL was whatever the number was, it
16:12
usually boiled down to, you know,
16:15
somewhere in the double digits. Um, so
16:18
the volume of players is is a lot
16:21
greater than what it was in the NFL.
16:23
Last one, Brian, kind of piggy backing
16:25
off, you added Gio Lopez, and Simpson in
16:28
that spring portal window. Were you
16:30
looking to fill specific holes in the
16:32
spring portal window? Were you how did
16:34
you evaluate those guys versus what you
16:36
already had on your roster? Was it
16:37
different than maybe the first portal we
16:39
made trying to fill the team?
16:41
Yeah. Um, no, I think you hit it right.
16:43
I think the first portal was we're just
16:45
trying to find guys to fill the team.
16:46
The second portal we're looking for good
16:47
football players and uh, you know, we
16:50
felt like any position if the player
16:52
wanted to come in and compete and we
16:53
thought he was a good player, then this
16:55
is the right spot for him. And um, we'll
16:57
give everybody an opportunity to
16:58
compete. You know, through the course of
17:00
my career, we've had many, many free
17:02
agents, low round draft choices who not
17:05
only competed and earned playing time,
17:07
but some became some of our best
17:08
players. So, um, players that, you know,
17:12
that, uh, want to come in and compete
17:14
and and have shown enough skill, um,
17:18
we'll we'll take those guys and we've
17:19
taken plenty of them. We'll see how they
17:21
do. Uh, but those are kind of the two
17:23
things we're looking for. Um, anybody
17:24
who's walking in here feeling like,
17:27
well, I'm going to be the starting this
17:28
or that. I'm entitled to this. And I
17:30
mean, that's not really the way it's
17:32
going to work. They're going to have to
17:33
earn it. Um, if they want to come in and
17:34
earn playing time and earn earn a roster
17:36
spot and, you know, and play at Carolina
17:38
and play in the ACC and, you know, get
17:41
that kind of profile, then we we'll give
17:44
it to them and we'll see what they can
17:45
do. Whatever they get, they're going to
17:47
earn. We're not we're not handing out
17:48
anything just like nobody's handing out
17:50
wins in this conference. Going to have
17:51
to go earn them. We're gonna have to
17:52
earn our spots on the field.
17:55
All right. Thanks a lot. Appreciate it.
17:56
Thank you.