Belichick: UNC ‘culture is a lot different’ entering second season

CHARLOTTE — After a difficult first season in college football, North Carolina coach Bill Belichick is confident that time may finally be on the Tar Heels’ side.

Time to build a team without massive roster turnover after spring practice. Time for players to train themselves and develop a culture in the summer. Time for the Tar Heels’ offseason training program to take effect.

All things that he said were missing last season in Belichick’s first season at North Carolina. An NFL coaching great who won six Super Bowl titles as a head coach with the New England Patriots, Belichick was hired in December 2025. After spring practice, much of the team’s roster turned over. Not a single UNC quarterback who took a snap in spring practice played for the team in the fall.

North Carolina went 4-8 (2-6 in the ACC).

Belichick said the program was behind from the start on high school recruiting, portal recruiting — “we’re picking up leftovers,” he said — and again in the fall when a large number of players showed up for the first time.

“Last year we didn’t have any player-run practices,” Belichick said of the typical summer work. “We couldn’t actually line up a team and run against another team without the coaches being out there because we didn’t have anybody that knew enough on either side of the ball to do that. Whereas this year, these guys have done it all — all spring and all summer. They go out there on their own and have seven-on-seven and do drills and all that because we have enough experience of guys to do that. So culture is a lot different, work ethic’s different. Not taking anything away from the guys that were here, but compared to a year ago, we know a lot more about what we’re doing and how to do it and our culture’s a lot different.”

The Tar Heels’ locker room culture came under fire last season as well with players and parents blaming it for the team’s on-field struggles. But at the ACC Kickoff event in Charlotte, UNC veterans said this offseason has been different, trying to create a culture of accountability around player-run practices and workouts.

“If anybody showed up late, just don’t work out with us for the day,” receiver Jordan Shipp said. “You got to get your workout on your own, on your own time.”

Said center Cristo Kelly: “Standard is defined by what you promote and what you permit. What you promote comes from the top, but ultimately the players are the ones that are relaying the message. And then what you permit, that’s the players holding each other accountable each and every day.”

The NCAA abolished the post-spring practice transfer portal, meaning most teams, including UNC, have had most of their team in place since January. The Tar Heels have 60 new players, including 40 freshmen. All but five or six have been on campus since January, Belichick said.

Unlike last year’s team, which Belichick said was starting form “scratch,” this year’s team is “above that now for sure.” The Tar Heels, he said, established a solid foundation in spring practice.

“You keep pushing the higher ground and when they reach that, then you raise the bar and go to a higher standard,” Belichick said. “That’s what training is, that’s what progress is in anything. Once you reach a certain level and you’re comfortable and you can execute that and you have a good foundation, then you build the next fllor and you keep building on that.”

North Carolina isn’t the first team to change head coaches and roster turnover is a way of life in college football now. Wake Forest coach Jake Dickert, hired from Washington State after Belichick, led the Deacons to a 9-4 record in his first season, including a win over the Tar Heels.

It was a humbling season in Chapel Hill, especially after an offseason of unprecedented hype, attention and ticket sales. Much of that outsized spotlight has dimmed this offseason.

“I learn every day,” said Belichick, who turned 74 in April. “I learn things every day. You’re always evolving, and I want to try to do the best I can to help our team. Every day, every week is a learning experience for me. I try to listen to the people around me that work for us that do various things, whether it’s academics, training, nutrition, offense, defense, special teams, so forth. Try to do the best I can to help put it all together — recruiting, fundraising, you name it. There are a lot of different things and I can improve in all of them.” 

New offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino is tasked with retooling one of the ACC’s worst offenses from 2025 with a new-look quarterback room. Starter Gio Lopez, backup Max Johnson and touted recruit Bryce Baker transferred from the program.

The team’s top four quarterbacks were all in the program for spring practice. Transfers Billy Edwards Jr. and Miles O’Neill, returner Au’Tori Newkirk and freshman Travis Burgess are all healthy, Belichick said.

“There’s no leaders in the clubhouse,” Belichick said. “Everybody’s out on the course.”