Bill Belichick's terrible debut ends with ESPN using Kirk Herbstreit’s dog to call the game

Jeff Hauser

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Bill Belichick's terrible debut ends with ESPN using Kirk Herbstreit’s dog to call the game image

Kirk Herbstreit’s golden retriever, Peter, unexpectedly became one of the highlights of Bill Belichick’s rocky debut as North Carolina’s head coach on ESPN. 

Earlier this year, Belichick shocked the football world when he returned to the sidelines in Chapel Hill, taking over a Tar Heel program desperate for direction. On Monday night, however, his new era started in disastrous fashion against TCU.

The Horned Frogs dominated every phase of the game, jumping out early and never looking back. By the third quarter, with UNC trailing badly, fans were filing out of Kenan Stadium. 

Even Belichick admitted afterward that the 48-14 blowout was as lopsided as it looked. “We need to do a better job all the way around,” he said. “Coaching, playing, all three phases of the game. Just wasn’t up to what it needs to be.”

While the on-field product from Belichick's team was disappointing, the broadcast provided some comedy for those who stayed up. Peter has become a fixture around Herbstreit and ESPN’s College GameDay crew, but made his way into the booth as the game spiraled out of control. 

Rece Davis joked that the wheels had officially come off as the golden retriever got his own camera time if auditioning to finish calling the action. It capped a big weekend for Peter, who had already been part of Lee Corso’s emotional farewell show on GameDay.

As for Belichick, he gave no excuses for the loss. “They just outplayed us. They outcoached us,” he said, crediting TCU for controlling both lines of scrimmage and executing better throughout the night. His attention quickly shifted to the next challenge. “We’ll use the time we can to correct the mistakes from tonight and move on…to Charlotte. Obviously, we have a lot of work to do.”

For UNC, the debut was humbling. Belichick will bounce back with the Tar Heels just at the beginning stages of process. 

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Jeff Hauser

Jeff Hauser is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He has over twenty years of experience and is a two-time Emmy Award winner, Heisman Trophy and Biletnikoff Award voter. Among the events he has covered are the Super Bowl, College Football Playoff, World Series, World Cup, and WBC Boxing. Hauser is a regular guest on FOX Sports and ESPN Radio. He previously wrote for Sports Illustrated, SB Nation and Athlon Sports.