UNC fans are convinced Mack Brown subtly roasted Bill Belichick over Drake Maye controversy

Jeff Hauser

UNC fans are convinced Mack Brown subtly roasted Bill Belichick over Drake Maye controversy image

Bill Belichick's feud with the New England Patriots has hit another low. 

After Drake Maye's outstanding SNF performance, UNC's social media went radio silent with zero congratulations for the former Tar Heels signal-caller. Maye completed 22-of-30 passes for 273 yards Sunday for the Patriots against the Bills, handing Buffalo its first loss of the season.

As the Tar Heels seemingly refused to acknowledge Maye, former North Carolina head football coach Mack Brown kept it classy. He posted a picture of him with his former quarterback on X. “So Happy for Drake. Fun to watch him win last night in Buffalo like he did so many times at UNC. Love and Appreciate you my friend! Keep it rolling!” he wrote.

However, UNC tried to make up for the flub with a Monday morning post. But it's too late. 

Why would UNC not want to show appreciation for Maye? Belichick directed UNC’s social media accounts from posting anything Patriots related, according to 247Sports' Ross Martin What a miss for a program already embroiled in early turmoil. The fallout between Belichick and the Patriots started shortly before he was fired by Robert Kraft after the 2023 season. 

Belichick made a subtle dig at Kraft and his son, Jonathan, in an August interview. He stated coaching college football is less complex because there is "no owner, there's no owner's son" to deal with, implying the family's involvement in Patriots management complicated the NFL process. Since then, Belichick has banned team scouts from UNC's campus. Six Super Bowl wins later and Belichick is clearly hurt by not being in Foxborough.

For now, the Tar Heels need a reboot to the season, which starts with a seven-game stretch and only two trips outside of the state of North Carolina. We'll see if Belichick and his staff can get back to "winning" in the final half of the season. 

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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.