The six-time Super Bowl champion-winning coach has found things on campus aren't so simple withoutTom Bradyunder center.
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How bad has it been?UNC football’s first season with Belichick has produced the program’s worst start against Power Four competition since theTar Heelsfirst fielded a team in 1888.
That was Grover Cleveland's first term as president when the U.S. only had 38 states.
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 01: Head coach Sonny Dykes (L) of the TCU Horned Frogs and head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels shake hands following their game at Kenan Stadium on September 01, 2025 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The TCU Horned Frogs defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels 48-14. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 20: Head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels walks off the field after losing 34-9 against the UCF Knights at FBC Mortgage Stadium on September 20, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Oct 4, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney with North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick before the game at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels and Jordon Hudson look on prior to the game against the Richmond Spiders at Kenan Memorial Stadium on September 13, 2025 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
North Carolina football coach Bill Belichick watches his team during the first half against Central Florida at FBC Mortgage Stadium on Sept. 20, 2025 in Orlando, Fla.
North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick walks the sideline during the first quarter against the UCF Knights at the Bounce House Stadium in Orlando, Florida.
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 08: North Carolina Tar Heels football head coach Bill Belichick and his girlfriend Jordon Hudson look on during the first half of the game between the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Duke Blue Devils at Dean E. Smith Center on March 08, 2025 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Bill Belichick, North Carolina, $10,100,000
Sep 13, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick on the sidelines in the second quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Sep 20, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick walks into the field before the game against the UCF Knights at the Bounce House Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images
North Carolina football coach Bill Belichick watches the Tabor Academy vs. Milton Academy game on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
Oct 26, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and girlfriend Jordon Hudson enter the field before the game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Navy Midshipmen at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Sep 13, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick before the game at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Sep 1, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick with TCU Horned Frogs head coach Sonny Dykes after the game at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick meets with a recruit before the Tar Heels hosted the TCU Horned Frogs on Sept. 1, 2025.
Sep 13, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick before the game at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Sep 13, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Richmond Spiders head coach Russ Huesman with North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick after the game at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 06: Head Coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels walks off the field after the football game against the Charlotte 49ers at Jerry Richardson Stadium on September 06, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 01: Head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels looks on during the second half of the game at Kenan Stadium on September 01, 2025 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick looks on before his Tar Heels faced the TCU Horned Frogs in Belichick's collegiate coaching debut.
North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick, right, embraces TCU head coach Sonny Dykes after TCU defeated UNC, 48-14 on Sept. 1, 2025.
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 01: Head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts during the first half of the game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Kenan Stadium on September 01, 2025 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 01: Head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels walks off the field following the completion of the first half of the game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Kenan Stadium on September 01, 2025 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
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Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick struggling early on as North Carolina football coach
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 01: Head coach Sonny Dykes (L) of the TCU Horned Frogs and head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels shake hands following their game at Kenan Stadium on September 01, 2025 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The TCU Horned Frogs defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels 48-14. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
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Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick struggling early on as North Carolina football coach
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 01: Head coach Sonny Dykes (L) of the TCU Horned Frogs and head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels shake hands following their game at Kenan Stadium on September 01, 2025 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The TCU Horned Frogs defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels 48-14. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
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Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick struggling early on as North Carolina football coach
ORLANDO, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 20: Head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels walks off the field after losing 34-9 against the UCF Knights at FBC Mortgage Stadium on September 20, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
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Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick struggling early on as North Carolina football coach
Oct 4, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney with North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick before the game at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
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Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick struggling early on as North Carolina football coach
Head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels and Jordon Hudson look on prior to the game against the Richmond Spiders at Kenan Memorial Stadium on September 13, 2025 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
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Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick struggling early on as North Carolina football coach
North Carolina football coach Bill Belichick watches his team during the first half against Central Florida at FBC Mortgage Stadium on Sept. 20, 2025 in Orlando, Fla.
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Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick struggling early on as North Carolina football coach
North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick walks the sideline during the first quarter against the UCF Knights at the Bounce House Stadium in Orlando, Florida.
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Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick struggling early on as North Carolina football coach
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 08: North Carolina Tar Heels football head coach Bill Belichick and his girlfriend Jordon Hudson look on during the first half of the game between the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Duke Blue Devils at Dean E. Smith Center on March 08, 2025 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
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Who are the highest paid college football coaches? Check out the top 32.
Bill Belichick, North Carolina, $10,100,000
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Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick struggling early on as North Carolina football coach
Sep 13, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick on the sidelines in the second quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
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Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick struggling early on as North Carolina football coach
Sep 20, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick walks into the field before the game against the UCF Knights at the Bounce House Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images
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Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick struggling early on as North Carolina football coach
North Carolina football coach Bill Belichick watches the Tabor Academy vs. Milton Academy game on Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.
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Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick struggling early on as North Carolina football coach
Oct 26, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and girlfriend Jordon Hudson enter the field before the game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Navy Midshipmen at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
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Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick struggling early on as North Carolina football coach
Sep 13, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick before the game at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
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Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick struggling early on as North Carolina football coach
Sep 1, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick with TCU Horned Frogs head coach Sonny Dykes after the game at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
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Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick struggling early on as North Carolina football coach
North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick meets with a recruit before the Tar Heels hosted the TCU Horned Frogs on Sept. 1, 2025.
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Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick struggling early on as North Carolina football coach
Sep 13, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick before the game at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
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Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick struggling early on as North Carolina football coach
Sep 13, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Richmond Spiders head coach Russ Huesman with North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick after the game at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
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Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick struggling early on as North Carolina football coach
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 06: Head Coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels walks off the field after the football game against the Charlotte 49ers at Jerry Richardson Stadium on September 06, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)
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Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick struggling early on as North Carolina football coach
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 01: Head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels looks on during the second half of the game at Kenan Stadium on September 01, 2025 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
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Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick struggling early on as North Carolina football coach
North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick looks on before his Tar Heels faced the TCU Horned Frogs in Belichick's collegiate coaching debut.
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Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick struggling early on as North Carolina football coach
North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick, right, embraces TCU head coach Sonny Dykes after TCU defeated UNC, 48-14 on Sept. 1, 2025.
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Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick struggling early on as North Carolina football coach
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 01: Head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts during the first half of the game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Kenan Stadium on September 01, 2025 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
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Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick struggling early on as North Carolina football coach
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 01: Head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels walks off the field following the completion of the first half of the game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Kenan Stadium on September 01, 2025 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
It’s been nearly 137 years since UNC played its inaugural game against Wake Forest at the North Carolina State Fair. No team since the program’s inception has been worse than Belichick’s team through three Power Four games.
The Tar Heels (2-3, 0-1 ACC) have lost each of their three games against P4 programs, outscored 120-33 in blowout defeats toTCU,UCFandClemson. That 87-point margin in the first three games against P4 teams is the worst inprogram history.
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“I don’t think that fundamentally we’re doing the wrong things. We’re just not doing them well enough," said Belichick, who is in the first year ofa 5-year, $50 million deal.
UNC’s historically bad start has the Tar Heels in jeopardy of missing a bowl game for the first time since 2018.
"UNC isn’t just bad; this is one the worst major-conference teams in the country,"USA TODAY's Paul Myerberg wroteafter Saturday's loss to Clemson.
Even the 2006 Tar Heels, who finished with 3-9 in John Bunting’s final season, were 12 points shy of matching the margin set by Belichick’s bunch. UNC was outscored 108-33 against Rutgers,Virginia Techand Clemson in ‘06.
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The 2003 team, which posted a 2-10 record, started the season with five straight losses against Power Four opponents. But those Tar Heels averaged 24.6 points in their first three P4 games. Mack Brown’s 1-10 teams in the 1988-89 seasons couldn’t even reach the rock-bottom mark set by Belichick’s team. Brown’s squads were outscored 97-44 and 65-19 in their first three games against P4 squads in the first two seasons of his first stint in Chapel Hill.
UNC’s 94 points through five games is the Tar Heels’ lowest total to start a season since scoring 85 in the first five games of 2006. The Tar Heels are 131st in total offense, worst among P4 teams, with onlyKent State, Northern Illinois and UMass recording worse yardages.
UNC is 75th in total defense, but explosive plays have been the eye-popping issue. That was certainly the case against Clemson, which had 8 explosive plays vs. the Tar Heels. The Tigers tacked on seven passes of 20 or more yards, including four TDs on the first 16 plays, and one run of 10 or more yards. TCU had 10 explosive plays and UCF logged five vs. UNC.
It's a lot to clean up for a program that is one of 11 in college football yet to win a game against a P4 opponent.
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Rodd Baxley covers North Carolina Tar Heels athletics for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley.
