$70M worth Bill Belichick "will thrive" in North Carolina due to UNC's deep pockets, claims ex Tar Heels head coach

The North Carolina Tar Heels made headlines in December when they hired Bill Belichick as their next coach. Belichick, who is worth $70 million according to Celebrity Net Worth, is one of the most legendary coaches in NFL history. He won six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots in the 2000s and 2010s.

However, Belichick is unproven at the college level. While he was dominant in the professional league, the skills a coach needs to win in the NFL are not the same as what they need to win in college. However, former UNC coach Mack Brown, whom Belichick replaced, believes Belichick will thrive in North Carolina.

Brown made his comments on Sirius XM College Sports Radio on Tuesday.

"As far as North Carolina and Bill Belichick now, he’s arguably the best coach ever," Brown said. "They’ve committed money to it, they’ve helped him with academics. They’ve lowered those standards some. So there’s absolutely no reason they shouldn’t be successful."

While Brown praised Belichick and UNC's willingness to spend money, he did not leave the interview without giving a subtle dig at how the team treated him:

"They could have done this stuff for me."

Brown coached the Tar Heels from 1988 to 1997 and again from 2019 to 2024. In November, he told reporters that he planned to return for the 2025 season. However, the next day, it was announced that he had been fired by UNC. Based on Brown's comments, it appears he is still a little upset about how things ended for him at UNC.

North Carolina has not addressed whether Bill Belichick's girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, is a distraction to the team

It was undeniably a huge story when Bill Belichick agreed to sign and become the North Carolina Tar Heels coach. However, the offseason has made some fans and media members doubtful about whether the partnership will be a success. One of the biggest issues has been the constant drama around Belichick's relationship with 24-year-old Jordon Hudson.

Despite lots of noise on the outside, North Carolina has maintained that Belichick has had a positive effect on the program. On May 13, athletic director Bubba Cunningham spoke to ESPN about Belichick.

"Bill's been great to work with," Cunningham said. "He talked about practicing like a pro and he runs a professional organization that is teaching students how to be professional in all aspects of their life. He is a very determined, professional individual, and that's the way he carries himself and the way he conducts the program."

Fans will be watching closely next season to see how Bill Belichick performs in his first college season.