The North Carolina football team is entering a critical phase of growth under second-year head coach Bill Belichick. The legendary coach recently outlined the clear strides his program has made heading into the upcoming 2026 season after a challenging inaugural season at the helm in Chapel Hill.
Culture and talent climbing
“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,” he told ESPN’s Pete Thamel, “and our talent level is higher.”
Belichick pointed to meaningful gains in both mindset and roster quality that he believes will show up on the field this fall.
Looking back at 2025 struggles
The Tar Heels finished 4-8 in Belichick’s first season. North Carolina opened 2-1 before dropping four straight games, exposing major weaknesses. The offense ranked last in the ACC at 288.8 yards per game and averaged just 19.3 points per game, the second-worst mark in the conference.
Belichick did not hold back when addressing the issues. He stressed the need to cut penalties and get off the field more consistently on defense.
“We took some steps, but we’re nowhere close to where we wanted to be,” Belichick said. “We had too many penalties, we had too many turnovers. We couldn’t convert on third down, fourth down defensively. We had too many fourth-down conversions where we had to stay on the field.”
Offense overhaul underway
Help arrives in the form of Bobby Petrino, who was hired as offensive coordinator on Jan. 9. Petrino brings a proven track record of explosive schemes. At quarterback, a three-man competition is underway between Wisconsin transfer Billy Edwards Jr., Texas A&M transfer Miles O’Neill and true freshman Travis Burgess. The winner will be charged with elevating a unit that lacked consistency a year ago.
Season opener against TCU
UNC football opens up the 2026 season vs. the TCU Horned Frogs on Aug. 29 overseas in Dublin, Ireland. With improved culture, upgraded talent, and a new offensive voice, Belichick believes the foundation is finally in place for the Tar Heels to take a meaningful step forward.
