Bill Belichick is moving past last season’s disappointing 4-8 record, saying that the program is “way ahead” of where it was a year ago, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
“Overall as a football team, our culture, our program, our ability to operate as a team is much higher than it was a year ago … and our talent level is higher,” Belichick told Thamel.
Belichick entered the college football ranks last season after collecting 333 all-time wins and six Super Bowls in the NFL. However, his success didn’t translate to college, as the Tar Heels won only four games – their fewest since 2018.
The 74-year-old coach has made significant changes entering his second season at UNC, including bringing in Bobby Petrino to replace Freddie Kitchens as the offensive coordinator.
“It’s been great,” Belichick said of Petrino’s arrival, according to Brett McMurphy of On3. “I’ve known him for a long time. A lot of things he does offensively are similar to what we did in New England.”
The quarterback position will also have new faces. Wisconsin transfer Billy Edwards Jr. and Texas A&M transfer Miles O’Neill are expected to fight for the No. 1 role alongside freshman Travis Burgess.
Belichick said recruiting will be the key to UNC’s improvement, noting that many national publications ranked the Tar Heels’ incoming class favorably.
“I think we have to consistently bring in good players, continue to work hard, improve and develop them,” Belichick said. “And I’m confident that we’ll be there. It’s a process.”
UNC begins its season on Aug. 29 against TCU in Dublin, Ireland.
Copyright © 2026 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.
Source: Sports NCAA Football – The Score
