For over two decades, NFL coaches tried to emulate Bill Belichick, the mastermind behind six Super Bowl titles with the New England Patriots. Now, as he begins his first season in college football with North Carolina, Belichick appears to be following in the footsteps of another NFL icon-turned-college-coach: Deion Sanders.
FOX Sports’ Colin Cowherd sees a lot of similarities between the team that Belichick has entering Year 1 in Chapel Hill and the team that Coach Prime built in his first year at Colorado. In fact, Cowherd believes that the Tar Heels will go through similar ups and downs to the ones Sanders’ Buffs experienced in 2023.
“They’re gonna sell out games,” Cowherd said on “The Joel Klatt Show.” “It’s gonna be fascinating. It’ll be great for TV ratings. At the end of the year, you’re like, ‘I don’t know how good they are, but it’s a good story.’
“[The Buffaloes and Tar Heels] are higher now than they have been earlier than Deion or Invoice bought there, as a result of I feel the boosters [at both schools] stepped up and allowed them to purchase some very, very particular gamers.”
To Cowherd’s level, there is not a lot continuity on the Tar Heels’ roster. Belichick introduced in 41 gamers by way of the switch portal to go together with 30 recruits. Regardless that North Carolina’s switch portal class was ranked because the ninth-best within the nation by 247Sports, Cowherd believes all of the shifting items will probably be an excessive amount of for Belichick in 12 months 1.
“Forty transfers? C’mon,” Cowherd mentioned. “I imply, Invoice was exhausting on his first- and second-round draft picks to begin. He preferred to draft guys, sit them, [have them] be taught the system after which play them in 12 months 2. These have been like 24-year-old guys, and Invoice not often went and spent massive cash in free company till a type of remaining years.
“Forty new gamers? Restricted observe time? I do not know, it is bought a Colorado really feel to it. That is why it is so ironic they’re opening with TCU, as a result of that is who Deion opened with at Colorado.”
Joel Klatt agreed with that sentiment, including that Sanders introduced in superior expertise in his first 12 months at Colorado between quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way star Travis Hunter.
Whereas Klatt acknowledged that North Carolina is in a greater place (6-7 in 2024) now than Colorado was when Sanders took over (1-11 in 2022), he cited a degree that Tom Brady made in a current episode of “The Joel Klatt Present: Massive Midday Conversations” for why he thinks Belichick will expertise a little bit of a studying curve within the faculty recreation.
“Tom was fascinated by how Invoice goes to deal with younger gamers due to his expectations with regards to recreation scenario preparedness,” Klatt mentioned. “He would not have the time to organize with these guys such as you would on the proper degree. I assumed it was a extremely sensible level that Tom made.”
Between NCAA guidelines and educational obligations, faculty gamers can solely spend a lot time with their coaches every week through the season. That is clearly totally different from the NFL, the place gamers and coaches can meet for hours on finish each week, with Brady telling Klatt he wonders how a lot info Belichick’s gamers will be capable to retain.
Nonetheless, Klatt believes that Belichick will be capable to coach and scheme North Carolina to sufficient wins in 2025 for it to be thought of a profitable season.
“I am unable to preserve my eyes off of this case at UNC as a result of I truly assume he’ll succeed,” Klatt mentioned. “This isn’t a league that is overwhelmingly tough. The ACC — for those who could be higher in these conditions than your opponent, then you may win shut video games. Am I loopy to assume that Invoice Belichick will work at North Carolina?”
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