Will Bill Belichick Be Out Of a Job by Game Six of the 2026 UNC Football Season? Yes.

Good afternoon, Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) sports fans.  We’re in August – college football starts this month 😉

In the mean time, we need to update you on University of North Carolina Tar Heel football, because, honestly, it’s in such a bad spot right now, that you can’t stop watching it – it’s similar to the scenario of watching a car drive into the Grand Canyon.  You know something bad is going to happen – but you can’t take your eyes away from it.

We’ve blogged about the need to move on from Bill Belichick.  I believe we were the first.  We also blogged about how tone deaf Belichick really is.

We also thought UNC had an opportunity to terminate Belichick from his contract – and not have to pay a buyout – player misconduct issues.

Now, it’s reported (hat to to @InsideCarolina) that Tar Heel football’s general manager, Michael Lombardi is on paid administrative leave for a personnel issue and he has hired an attorney, which is certainly his right – and that the College Sports Commission is looking into North Carlina NIL deals and Lombardi.

You can see more on Inside Carolina’s great reporting here.

You can see that Tar Heel football is dumpster fire – but aside from all these distractions, there’s lots of incompetence and that matters with revenue sports.  North Carolina was 4-8 in Belichick’s first year – and this with the 2025 roster built by his esteemed general manager.  Then they had to construct another one for 2026.  Belichick and Lombardi own both of these roster constructions.  North Carolina plays 7 of the top 10 ACC football teams as ranked in the 2026 preseason poll – and it’s hard to believe that the Tar Heels will win more than 2 of their first six games.  If you look at the back half of North Carolina’s football schedule – the Tar Heels play Syracuse, Miami, UConn, Louisville, Virginia, and NC State – I can see 2 maybe 3 wins in that group at best?  I believe you’re looking at a 4-8  or 3-9season as the max for 2026 Tar Heel football.

The off-the-field distractions do cause problems with a football team – but I can tell you that North Carolina football boosters and donors – and the administration didn’t pay for 7 to 8 wins in two years.  Could Bill Belichick be gone by after the game with Duke on October 17?  I think he could – I think it is very possible.  At some point, fan apathy sinks in – and it becomes more expensive not to take action.

The short of it is, I think the North Carolina administration must get to an agreeable buyout number with Bill Belichick (save the hardball tactics if – like everyone thinks – he has an undisciplined team by midseason – and the team drives figuratively into the Grand Canyon).

Have a great week!

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