North Carolina’s new head coach Bill Belichick doesn’t speak until Thursday at the ACC Kickoff, the conference’s annual media days event. That, however, hasn’t stopped other coaches—like Pittsburgh’s Pat Narduzzi—from weighing in on his debut season.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Narduzzi said it would be surprising if Belichick didn’t find success at North Carolina.
“I’ll be shocked if he doesn’t have success,” Narduzzi said, according to WRAL’s Brian Murphy. “I don’t have a crystal ball. I’m no genius over here, but he’s a heck of a football coach. But it takes players and it takes coaches. It takes a program together. It takes everybody moving in the same direction.”
The Panthers’ coach went a step further with a bold prediction for Belichick and UNC.
“I expect them to be in the championship game against Pitt this year. You got Bill Belichick, you better be, right?” Narduzzi said.
Competing for the ACC title in Year 1 would be a massive accomplishment—even for Belichick. Considering all the extenuating circumstances around his new role, the transition from the NFL to college football will be a major test for the legendary former Patriots coach.
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Still, others believe Belichick will find immediate success in Chapel Hill.
“I don’t think Bill Belichick cares what all the noise is this offseason, what people are talking about, who they’re talking about,” Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt said. “I think he cares about getting this roster, the team, the players, to believe they can go out there and just do their job. And if you do that, in that conference against that schedule, I don’t think anyone’s running away from them. So, there’s a good chance this is a team that’s going to be in a lot of games they play.”
The Tar Heels’ 2025 schedule sets up well for a possible surprise run. According to ESPN’s College Football Power Index, North Carolina has just the 51st-ranked strength of schedule. They avoid Narduzzi’s Panthers, along with top ACC contenders like Miami, Clemson, Florida State, SMU, and Georgia Tech.
