From their very first game this season, North Carolina (2-3, 0-1) under Bill Belichick has looked a lot like the Patriots under Bill Belichick during his last few years as head coach in New England.
On the field, it’s been a mess for a program that was referring to themselves as the “33rd NFL team” this offseason, with Saturday’s 38-10 loss to Clemson (2-3, 1-2) serving as a national reminder of the in-game dysfunction.
And off the field, that mess has carried over.
Here’s what The Guardian’s Ollie Connolly posted on X.com on Wednesday afternoon:
“Per sources: Bill Belichick has discussed buyout options with North Carolina’s hierarchy. Belichick has signalled a willingness to trigger his own $1 million buyout if he can find a soft landing with another team or in media
“Members of Belichick’s coaching staff have already spoken to other schools that are expected to be in CFB Playoff about taking on roles during the postseason. From one coach: ‘the rats are leaving the ship.’ Some staffers believe a change will come within two weeks
“Reports of serious recruiting violations remain under investigation at UNC. Recruiting and practice violations have already been proven by the school, according to multiple sources.
“Using recruit violations to knockdown a coaches buyout has become a standard practice. If Belichick cannot find a landing spot to trigger his own buyout, he’s excepted to accept a greatly reduced, compromised rate
“Belichick's communication with his staff in the past two weeks has been described as ‘weird’ and ‘distant’ by multiple members of UNC's coaching staff. Multiple coaches were unable to get hold of him during UNC's bye week
“From one UNC defensive assistant: ‘What we've done to these kids is fucked up.’”
This reporting from Connolly comes on the heels of multiple reports coming out of Chapel Hill this week of violations from the football program.
One of which was a report of defensive assistant Armond Hawkins being suspended for providing extra benefits to a player by giving them sideline passes for their family. Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk wrote this is the type of allegation “that lands in the general neighborhood” of something that could lay the foundation for a termination of Belichick’s contract with cause, especially if the basis for the suspension wasn’t an isolated occurrence.
Another report came down of a text being sent to all UNC athletes reminding them that selling their complimentary tickets to games could impact their eligibility and violate NCAA rules.
WRAL News obtained a copy of the message:
“This is a friendly reminder that you are NOT to sell or exchange your complimentary tickets for any item of value. You may give the tickets to anyone you choose without receiving anything in return. Although some NCAA rules have recently changed, this rule has not. Selling your tickets or receiving an extra benefit still impacts your eligibility to compete in intercollegiate athletics.”
It’s starting to feel like the end is near for Belichick at North Carolina, which would mean the future Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach would have lasted less than one calendar year on the job - his first head coaching gig at the collegiate level.
Stay locked in to WEEI and WEEI.com for all the latest as this story develops.