The sports world was utterly aghast Wednesday night amid the news that NFL legend Bill Belichick was officially on board as UNC's next head coach. But a confidant of the former New England Patriots head honcho has some thoughts as to why the move is not so crazy after all.
The inside scoop was relayed to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, who then shared the comments later on Wednesday.
"When this first came out, I called up a Bill Belichick confidant to be like, 'Hey, isn't this crazy?" Rapoport said. "The very quick response I got was, 'It's not crazy. Look at what Deion Sanders is doing. Look at all of Belichick's friends who are all in the college game. He could literally run this like an NFL program. The ACC is not good. He can win. Stop saying this is crazy.'"
"And I said, 'You know what? This actually makes sense.' Now it's real. "
Here's a clip of that:
From The Insiders on @NFLNetwork: Those close to Bill Belichick have maintained for days — going to UNC is not crazy. Now, he’s done it. pic.twitter.com/lBmomtsePK
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 12, 2024
Belichick's decision to return to coaching at the collegiate level has been met with both enthusiasm and skepticism, with some parties just excited to see the 72-year-old back in action, and others not so sure he'd be a great fit for the unique challenges of the NCAA. But if it wasn't going to be the NFL, which seems to have moved on from him, where else would it be? And not for nothing, early reports suggest he will be compensated quite handsomely. Things start to look a bit clearer in that light.
Moreover, Belichick has said he would run the program almost like an NFL feeder, "with training, nutrition, scheme, coaching, techniques that would transfer to the NFL." That's a huge asset for any school hoping to recruit and keep talent, as well as a coach who appears eager to continue his legacy.
So however, you feel about it, Chapel Bill has unequivocally arrived. Let us all enjoy the show.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Bill Belichick Confidant Details Why Coach's Move to UNC is Not so Wild After All .
