"He's trying to impress his girlfriend": Paul Finebaum fires shots at Bill Belichick while making predictions for first year at UNC

Bill Belichick’s arrival at Chapel Hill hasn't been appealing to many. Fans can now add Paul Finebaum to this long list of haters. The veteran analyst believes Belichick's first season at North Carolina will be a disaster.

Finebaum noted how Belichick's NFL coaching career ended in disappointment. The legendary coach spent over 50 years with multiple franchises — most notably, with the New England Patriots for 23 years. However, since Tom Brady left the team in 2020, the Patriots have experienced a steady decline, which fans blame on Belichick for not being able to bring the team back to its glory days.

After allegedly being fired in 2024, Belichick took a year off before landing at UNC for his first-ever stint at college football. But Finebaum is not pleased.

The 73-year-old coach recently attended the ACC media days in Charlotte, where he shared his aspirations for the 2025 season. Belichick appeared pressure-free and confident about his skills to fare at an amateur level. Finebaum believes all the hype will end within the first couple of games.

“He doesn't have a very good team,” Finebaum said on ESPN's Get Up on Friday (Timestamp: 2:11). "Although he's in a workable league, I think he can win seven games, maybe steal one to go eight. But, ladies and gentlemen, this is not Deion Sanders coming back to college for a couple of obvious reasons: Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter.

“He doesn't have anyone like that. Therefore, the eyes of the nation will be there on opening night, maybe a second or third time. But it's not going to be must-see TV. And as far as Bill Belichick, Greenie, you know the NFL better than me, but I can read, I followed his career. The end of his career was a disaster. He didn't win a playoff game in his last five seasons.

“This is just trying to make good; he's trying to impress his girlfriend. He's trying to make some money, and ultimately, I don't think it's going to work."

Bill Belichick points out major differences between college and NFL players

While speaking at the ACC media days, Bill Belichick mentioned there is a big difference in the mindset of these young players and pro athletes. College players are more anxious and willing to learn the fundamentals, which is not the case in the NFL.

He shared the example of Tom Brady, saying the QB was the only exception. Most pro athletes have different styles of learning, but they are often ready to go and don't pay heed to learning new aspects.

He also mentioned college players don't have many bad habits, unlike pro stars who have a lot of distractions in their lives that eventually affect their game. Belichick looks to have a stellar start to this new phase of life when UNC takes on TCU at home on Sept. 1.