The debut of Bill Belichick at North Carolina was always going to be a spectacle.
A legendary coach synonymous with the NFL, six Super Bowl rings and nearly three decades of Patriots dominance behind him, suddenly pacing the sidelines in Chapel Hill was a story that wrote itself. But after Monday’s 48-14 loss to TCU in front of a sold-out Kenan Stadium, the narrative took on a new life.
Shortly after the game, an Instagram post from the account patrickwcutler was circulated widely, claiming that Belichick had been “relieved of his duties” as head coach at UNC, quoting a fabricated statement from university president “Lee Corso”—a name familiar to college football fans as a longtime ESPN analyst, not a UNC administrator.
The statement referenced “losing by 50 billion points” and Belichick’s “long history of cheating,” which is over-the-top phrasing at any level. And yet, the post gained traction with screenshots bouncing across social media platforms and catching casual fans off guard.
Was Bill Belichick fired from UNC?
No, North Carolina didn't cut ties with one of the most successful coaches in football history after just one game.
As Winston Churchill famously said, "A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on." But the fake post achieved its purpose by stirring up the fans one way or another.
The viral hoax worked. At least briefly, because it played into two familiar narratives. First, the idea of Belichick as an outdated figure who is more suited for an NFL era that no longer exists. Second, the impatience of fan bases who are critical from the start. The fake post tapped into a believable storyline, even if the details were obviously imaginary.
Belichick himself addressed the blowout in his typical "matter-of-fact" way: “We’re better than what we were tonight, but we have to go out there and show that and prove it. Nobody’s going to do it for us. We’re going to have to do it ourselves, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
There was no resignation, no firing, no administrative drama. Just a coach who, for the first time in nearly half a century, found himself learning the rhythm of college football in a new era.
Belichick’s long history of bouncing back from early struggles is notable. Going back to his first NFL head coaching game in 1991 with the Cleveland Browns, a loss to Jimmy Johnson’s Cowboys that prompted similar headlines about his future. It appears to have worked out just fine for Belichick.
The road ahead for Big Bill
Belichick has been in tough spots before, and his history suggests he will steady the ship at UNC. The challenge now is adapting to a different level. But one aspect that is lost in all of the noise is doing this with 70 new players.
Deion Sanders faced a similar task at Colorado two years ago, but a majority were those he had a pre-existing relationship with. Not the same for Belichick. Expecting immediate cohesion is insane.
The journey for Belichick at UNC is only just beginning. The Tar Heel faithful need to hear his words: “We’ve got a lot of work to do. We’ll get at it.”
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