Paul Finebaum didn’t hold back on ESPN’s First Take, flat-out predicting Bill Belichick won’t even finish the 2026 season coaching North Carolina. With some former NFL players making the jump to college ball, Belichick’s trying to get the Tar Heels ready for the upcoming season, but Finebaum is totally out on the future Hall of Famer’s experiment in Chapel Hill. He just doesn’t see any improvement coming for UNC in Belichick’s second year.
Finebaum Sees Belichick’s College Career ‘Go Down in Flames’
Finebaum was crystal clear about his feelings. “I’m not pulling for Bill Belichick,” he declared, pulling no punches. “He’s a grouch, he’s a bully and his career in college is about to go down in flames.” That’s a pretty brutal assessment, right? Finebaum believes it’s “mass chaos in Chapel Hill” right now. UNC only went 4-8 last year under Belichick. You might think it’s too early to pull the plug, especially since he hasn’t even been on campus for over two years, but Finebaum sees it differently. “I don’t think Bill Belichick is going to survive until the end of the season,” he added, doubling down on his prediction.
“Underwhelming” Is the Word for Belichick’s UNC Run
The truth is, Belichick’s tenure has been underwhelming so far. It started with a bang, sure, but that hasn’t translated into exciting play on the field that keeps fans entertained. We’ve seen some wild headlines about his off-the-field stuff, but for a coach with a deep history of winning big, he just hasn’t figured out how to win at UNC. Finebaum’s parting shot summed it up: “I see no way this is going to be a successful landing or ending for Belichick.” If UNC were to fire him before his contract is up, they’d need a solid replacement plan, otherwise, what’s the point of not letting the process play out?
This Saturday, UNC kicks off its season against Big 12 dark horse TCU in Dublin, Ireland. You can catch it at Noon ET on ESPN. All eyes will be on Belichick and the Tar Heels to see if they can prove Finebaum wrong and start turning things around.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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