ESPN: North Carolina Had One of Worst Offseasons in ACC

North Carolina began last season calling itself the NFL's 33rd team after hiring head coach Bill Belichick, and it ended the season with a 4-8 record and a laughing stock among ACC teams.

Belichick's debut season was considered a failure by most, and it resulted in the team losing 32 players to the transfer portal including four-star quarterback Bryce Baker, four-star receiver Chris Culliver, four-star edge-rusher Tyler Thompson, four-star defensive lineman D’antre Robinson, and four-star offensive lineman Miles McVay.

The Tar Heels lost quite a bit of talent, and though Belichick brought in a top-25 recruiting class highlighted by four-star QB Travis Burgess, four-star WR C.J. Sadler, and four-star defensive linemen Vodney Cleveland and Trashawn Ruffin, ESPN's Eli Lederman, Max Olson and Adam Rittenberg still believe UNC's offseason was among the worst in the ACC.

"Bobby Petrino is the offensive coordinator for a college team coached by Bill Belichick. What a time to be alive," Lederman, Olson, and Rittenberg wrote.

"… One of the few generally positive things from Belichick’s debut season was North Carolina’s defense, and the Tar Heels lost a lot of talent this offseason. All told, the program returns only three defenders who started eight-plus games last fall. A handful of those departures - such as front-seven standouts Smith Vilbert and Andrew Simpson, and four starters in the secondary - were due to graduation.

"But North Carolina had the opportunity to retain defensive linemen CJ Mims (Texas A&M transfer), D’Antre Robinson (Oregon) and Tyler Thompson (Louisville) and House, the program’s leading tackler in 2025, and simply couldn’t. Offensively, the Tar Heels’ hopes of turning around the nation’s 111th passing attack (183.5 YPG) hinge on a pair of relative question marks surrounding Edwards and FCS transfer Taron Dickens."

What It Means

It was speculated last season that Belichick was on thin ice.

He had an assistant coach suspended for violating NCAA rules regarding improper benefits for a player, and some believed he was planning his exit from the school once the NFL coaching cycle opened.

Belichick also caught some heat for some seemingly inappropriate sideline behavior with his 25-year-old girlfriend Jordon Hudson, and for reportedly banning New England Patriots scouts from UNC practices.

All this to say Belichick will be under a microscope in 2026. Some boosters and alumni were on the fence about his hire in the first place, and if the Tar Heels have another tumultuous season after an offseason where they failed to improve in any facet, Belichick could be looking for a new job next year.

2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.

This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 5:42 PM.