Bill Belichick’s arrival at UNC was expected to lead to immediate success following his time in the NFL. But in his debut season, the Tar Heels faced huge disappointment with multiple blowout losses. The legendary head coach mustn’t repeat this because the new UNC AD, Steve Newmark, who has long ties to Chapel Hill and served on the advisory committee that brought Belichick, clarified his expectations.
“At the end of the day, we want to win,” said Newmark during his Wednesday appearance on WRAL. “That’s why you put these programs out there. That’s the ultimate goal when you’re talking about the on-field performance. Obviously, last year we didn’t get enough wins. We didn’t get as many wins as we’d like. Obviously had a couple of fumbles on the goal line that turned a few of those games, but that’s sports, and we need to figure out a way to get on the right end of that.”
The 2025 season opener against TCU was a major debacle. The Tar Heels surrendered 41 unanswered points to the Frogs after a quick 7–0 lead. In September, Belichick’s team fell completely uncompetitive against UCF, and UNC fell behind 10-0 in the first quarter, never recovering. Then, a lopsided home loss to Clemson exposed severe defensive vulnerabilities, and the final blow of that season came in Raleigh against NC State, 42-19.
During those collapses, while the 2025 roster struggled heavily under an NFL-style workload, the program’s loss was driven by an unprecedented roster overhaul and severe locker room division. The Tar Heels brought in nearly 70 new players, largely through the portal. With that, UNC saw a brutal 4–8 season in Belichick’s first year in CFB. Despite that, Newmark backed the legendary head coach.
“I think we’re optimistic where we’re going,” said Newmark. “I like the way that they’re trying to build it. We understand we’re in a performance-based sport. Coach Belichick would be the first to say that. But we feel like we’re on the right trajectory. We need to continue to show what Coach Belichick continually refers to as continuous improvement.”
But if that improvement can’t translate into on-field success in Bill Belichick’s second season with UNC, the AD could lose confidence in the coach. Though the coach’s first three seasons with UNC are guaranteed following his signing a five-year, $50 million contract. Despite all, the coach and his team are preparing to make this season count.
“We need to do a better job all the way around. I’ll take my share of the responsibility,” said Belichick.
In 2026, Belichick initiated a major staff overhaul by firing special teams coordinator Mike Priefer and OC Freddie Kitchens. Meanwhile, UNC hired offensive mastermind Bobby Petrino as the new OC. Then, the front office, led by GM Michael Lombardi, completely shifted its roster-building philosophy. Given all that, the new UNC AD used the 2026 ACC spring meetings to validate Belichick’s structural changes.
Could UNC improve in 2026?
There’s no doubt about Bill Belichick’s capability. His 24-year tenure with the Patriots produced six Super Bowl championships. However, the 2025 struggles clearly signal his NFL-style strategies didn’t work for the Tar Heels. Yet, the coach isn’t sweating just yet, stating, “The process will eventually produce the results that we want to produce, like it has everywhere else I’ve been. I’m very confident in that.”
This season, UNC has players like Billy Edwards Jr., Miles O’Neil, Kaleb Jackson, Trech Kekahuna, and more. But the program faces the #1 toughest schedule in the nation for the 2026 season. That’s why CBS Sports’s Cody Nagel issued a brutal prediction, forecasting that UNC will finish in last place in the ACC for the 2026 season.
Then, the Tar Heels were ranked a dismal 15th in ESPN’s Power Four offseason rankings. Bookmakers have set UNC’s Over/Under win total at just 4.5 games. But the UNC AD is hopeful of success. “You want to see improvement, as I mentioned, as we go through the season, and I’m confident we’ll do that.”
