Belichick Remains Tight-lipped As Unc Season Ends In Another Loss: ‘i Don’t Have A Recap’

Bill Belichick stood astatine nan microphone successful a crowded room of reporters. North Carolina’s play had conscionable ended pinch a lopsided nonaccomplishment to a fierce adjacent rival to headdress a four-win season.

And nan six-time Super Bowl-winning caput coach wasn’t successful overmuch of a temper to talk astir it. A small much than 4 minutes’ worth, successful fact.

“Look, nan season’s conscionable ended a fewer minutes ago, OK?” Belichick said aft nan 42-19 nonaccomplishment astatine NC State connected Saturday night. “So now we’re going to move into nan offseason. That’s what we’re going to do.”

UNC started nan twelvemonth pinch buzz and a nationalist spotlight, teeming pinch optimism – aliases possibly simply dream – that 1 of nan top coaches successful NFL history could elevate nan programme successful his debut play arsenic a assemblage shot coach. By season’s end, Belichick had fielded a squad that had much losses by double-digit margins (five) than full wins while offering predominant helpings of unwanted off-field headlines.

The last rustle came successful Raleigh, wherever nan Wolfpack and coach Dave Doeren were each excessively eager to instrumentality it to nan Tar Heels for a 5th consecutive twelvemonth successful beforehand of a typically rowdy location crowd. And this 1 sent nan 73-year-old Belichick into nan offseason pinch a last thud, equipped pinch nary of nan silver-lining assessments that had followed humble gains shown successful adjacent losses aliases wins against immoderate of nan ACC’s worst teams.

He offered fewer insights, too, down to what connection he gave his first assemblage squad aft a play of expectations ended successful disfigured fashion

“I’ll support my connection to nan squad betwixt maine and nan team,” Belichick said.

On-field struggles

The Tar Heels (4-8, 2-6) closed nan play pinch 3 consecutive losses to in-state convention opponents, first astatine Wake Forest and past astatine location against Duke past weekend.

That capped a play that saw nan Tar Heels suffer 5 games by 16 aliases much points, starting pinch a 48-14 nonaccomplishment to TCU connected Labor Day – which had drawn ESPN’s College Gameday to Chapel Hill and countless headlines astir Belichick’s presence astatine nan assemblage level.

That turned into simply nan commencement of trouble, pinch nan opening period including blowout losses astatine UCF and astatine location to a Clemson squad that will decorativeness pinch their lowest triumph output successful 15 years. UNC’s 3 wins against Bowl Subdivision programs came against teams pinch a mixed 8-28 grounds (Charlotte, Syracuse and Stanford), and nan Tar Heels grounded to make a vessel for nan first clip since 2018.

That’s hardly successful statement pinch nan expectations that followed nan schoolhouse hiring Belichick to a woody that included each of nan first 3 seasons pinch a guaranteed $10m successful guidelines and supplemental play, on pinch elevated investments successful nan programme for unit and elsewhere. That notably included wide head Michael Lombardi saying nan Tar Heels “consider ourselves nan 33rd [NFL] team” successful their pro-heavy power and approach.

By nan end?

“It’s difficult to put successful 1 word,” receiver Jordan Shipp said erstwhile asked really he would picture nan season. “We didn’t expect nan play to spell for illustration this of course.”

Off-field hiccups

The headlines weren’t confined solely to crippled days.

There was Belichick banning scouts from nan New England Patriots – nan squad he led to those six Super Bowls pinch Tom Brady – arsenic portion of his ain acrimonious narration pinch his erstwhile franchise.

There was nan suspension of an adjunct coach tied to NCAA norm violations. The schoolhouse releasing terse statements from Belichick and diversion head Bubba Cunningham reaffirming nan matrimony betwixt Belichick and UNC, itself a motion of really bumpy nan first fewer weeks of Belichick’s tenure had gone.

There were midseason reports by WRAL TV of Raleigh coating an image of turmoil down nan scenes arsenic good arsenic aggregate players being cited for speeding aliases reckless driving. And location was nan tabloid-level liking successful Belichick’s relationship pinch 24-year-old woman Jordon Hudson, a predominant sideline beingness earlier games.

It each generated fodder for opponents to jab astatine Belichick. And it often had Belichick fielding news-conference questions that veered distant from nan athletics he knows truthful well.

Players return lead

Once Belichick met pinch reporters connected Saturday, he deflected immoderate big-picture questions astir nan play overall.

“We’ve been moving connected a squad each week,” Belichick said. “I’m sorry I don’t person a play recap for you. I don’t person one, we haven’t done it.”

Rather, that near Shipp and linebacker Khmori House to return nan lead successful answering for what went incorrect and what’s next.

“We showed glimpses, we conscionable didn’t do capable to propulsion disconnected immoderate wins,” Shipp said, adding: “We cognize internally that we’re not arsenic bad arsenic our grounds shows.”

Both fielded questions from reporters longer than Belichick, pinch Shipp talking astir doubly arsenic long. That included House being asked really he would picture this astir different of seasons.

“I would picture it arsenic a roller coaster, ups and downs,” he said, “but a lesson.”