UNC football’s Bill Belichick has something he didn’t a year ago: continuity

Bill Belichick has something he didn’t a year ago when North Carolina opened spring practice: stability.

After a debut college season defined by a disappointing 4-8 finish, Belichick said Tuesday that continuity — not scheme or staff changes — marks the biggest difference from last year as the Tar Heels began their five-week spring period.

UNC opened spring practice Tuesday at the Bill Koman Practice Complex and will hold 15 sessions through April 24.

“Obviously, there’s a lot of changes from last year,” Belichick said during a 30-minute news conference at the Kenan Football Center Tuesday. “But I’d say the big difference … is just that we have our team now. This is gonna be a big percentage of it.”

Belichick was hired in December 2024 and immediately faced a compressed timeline. North Carolina lagged behind in both high school recruiting and the winter transfer portal, then underwent significant roster turnover between spring practice and fall camp via the now-defunct spring portal window. By the season opener, a 48-14 loss, UNC had added roughly 70 new players.

That lack of continuity showed throughout the season. The Tar Heels mustered just four wins, went 2-6 in ACC play, and struggled particularly on offense.

Foundation in place

This spring, the culture is already in place, with key returners like wideout Jordan Shipp, defensive back Jaiden Patterson and defensive lineman Melkart Abou-Jaoude serving as leaders. UNC football also signed 40 incoming freshmen, who Belichick said will be “the foundation for our program.”

“Last year, we were obviously late coming in on the recruiting end, late coming in on the portal end,” he said. “And then, at the end of spring ball, we had a lot of changes... we didn’t have anywhere near the continuity that we expect to have this year. I think we have a lot of good leadership coming back from the guys that were with us last year.”

North Carolina’s spring roster includes 31 true freshmen and 21 transfers, but most of the group arrived in time for offseason development. Belichick estimated 95% of the roster is set heading into the fall, aside from a handful of summer enrollees.

“For the most part, everybody’s here and we’ll have a full year of working with them,” Belichick said. “That’s way different than what we had last year. That’s the really big thing. I wish we could’ve started on time last year, but it was what it was and we’re moving on.”

UNC’s roster features 69 underclassmen, counting true freshmen (31), redshirt freshmen (17), sophomores (five) and redshirt sophomores (16). It’s a bit unconventional in an era when many programs prioritize older, transfer-heavy lineups.

“Freshmen are going to be out there,” Shipp, a junior, said. “If you can play, you can play, no matter what’s going on. It just comes with a level of maturity, just having that level of maturity.”

Belichick echoed that sentiment, pointing to development as a central focus of the spring — and program as a whole.

“We have short-term goals,” he said. “Our goal is to have a good day today, correct those mistakes, watch the film tomorrow, install some new things we didn’t work on today... and stack those days together. That’s what success is.”

Biggest change for UNC offense: Bobby Petrino

Offensively, of course, UNC will look different.

Belichick hired veteran coordinator Bobby Petrino to overhaul a unit that ranked near the bottom of the ACC in scoring and total offense last fall.

Belichick said Petrino will call plays, but they will have a collaborative structure similar to his longtime partnership with former New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.

“We’ve had a pretty easy time getting on the same page, and we just weren’t able to really get there last year for a number of reasons,” Belichick said. “This year, we’re much further ahead in that process. And again, Bobby’s got a ton of experience. He’s had great production every place he’s been, and I’m excited to work with him.”

The Tar Heels will also feature a revamped quarterback room, with only one returning scholarship quarterback. Transfers Billy Edwards Jr. and Miles O’Neill are among those competing for the starting role. Defensively, UNC expects more continuity, with the coaching staff and system largely unchanged on that end.

“Everybody just knows the defense in and out,” Patterson said. “We can trust and communicate. There are no hiccups and it’s clicking fast. I like that a lot.”

The Tar Heels will face a challenging schedule in 2026, beginning with a rematch against TCU on Aug. 29 in Dublin, Ireland. Eleven of UNC’s 12 opponents finished the 2025 season with winning records.

This story was originally published March 24, 2026 at 6:10 PM.