NFL Exec: Bill Belichick, UNC 'Will Be Better Evaluators Than 90%' of Major Colleges
Bill Belichick was not only the head coach of the New England Patriots for two decades, he also served as the de facto general manager for the team during much of that time. And while his personnel decisions later in his tenure left plenty to be desired, he still will bring plenty of evaluation experience to North Carolina alongside his coaching acumen.
"They will be better evaluators than 90 percent of these major colleges will be," a veteran NFL executive told Mike Sando of The Athletic.
"They already understand the cap, they understand how to pay and who to pay and how to structure a roster," the executive added. "Colleges right now are scrambling to learn that and define that. These college coaches have really been their own GMs, and they have hired young guys to recruit. Belichick is going to be ahead."
Granted, recruiting and even the transfer portal is a different beast. It will be an adjustment.
"Bill used to put up an empty depth chart on the first day of camp, telling the guys they had to earn everything," a coach told Sando. "How he's going to have transfers telling him they want X number of plays per game, or this many targets? What's he going to do when some kid in the portal tells him what jersey number he wants?"
This is where the central intrigue lies for Belichick's North Carolina tenure—how will he adjust to the quirks of the college game? Or will he adjust at all?
If the answer to that second question is no, his time in Chapel Hill may be short-lived.
