A Bill Belichick-UNC reality check, plus Caitlin Clark's Olympic comments


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Good morning! Thank you to everyone who responded to our survey yesterday. Still time to put answers in, though.


Huh? The reality of Bill Belichickā€™s college foray

The sentence frankly reads as absurd at first glance: Bill Belichick is in serious talks to become the next coach at North Carolina. The six-time Super Bowl champ who is 14 wins shy of the NFL record ā€¦ wants to spend his career twilight at an above-average ACC program?

Itā€™s a mind-boggling proposition that everyone involved seems to be taking quite seriously. And it turns out, this is not without precedent. But letā€™s go over the basic facts before we delve deeper:

  • Weeks ago, North Carolina fired Mack Brown, the programā€™s all-time winningest coach, amid a messy season. Tar Heels officials figured the opening would be highly coveted; instead,Ā Tulaneā€™s Jon Sumrall and Iowa Stateā€™s Matt Campbell declined interest.Ā So here we are, talking about Bill Belichick.
  • Internal strife abounds in Chapel Hill, as Brendan Marks and Ralph D. RussoĀ laid out in incredible detail Monday. The athletic department and the board of trustees are at odds, which is making the hiring process difficult. In the story, thereā€™s even mention of a possible job offer coming from a trustee ā€” not the athletic department ā€” to Belichick. Yeesh.

And yet, as Brendan, Ralph and Dianna RussiniĀ reported last night,Ā Belichick is indeed weighing an offer to become the next Tar Heels head coach. As we wrote last week, Belichick spent time at Washington last season with his son Steve, the Huskiesā€™ defensive coordinator. There is an expectation Steve would follow his father to Chapel Hill and possibly even be named coach-in-waiting.

But I still have this nagging question rattling my brain: Is this a good idea for anyone?

I went to the insiders. Dianna told me Belichick would lean on his NFL expertise to attract recruits and ā€” I admit, I am beginning to see the reasoning ā€” Belichick knows how to run an NFL operation. As the college game creeps toward an NFL structure with NIL money and revenue sharing, maybe the 72-year-old would beĀ aheadĀ of his peers.

But there is skepticism, asĀ The Athleticā€™s Bruce Feldman told me. It wouldnā€™t be a disaster, per se, but ā€¦ hereā€™s Bruce:

šŸ’¬ ā€œI donā€™t see ā€˜home run.ā€™ Talent acquisition is so pivotal, and my sense is UNC will not have that robust of an NIL operation. Itā€™s one thing to pitch that you can get guys ready for the NFL, but these days, most of the kids are still going to ask, ā€˜So how much am I getting?ā€™ And if itā€™s a lot less than what Miami, Clemson, Ohio State and the SEC is offering, I think Belichick isnā€™t going to be able to get the kinds of players to win more than eight or nine games.ā€

Bruce also reminded me that Bill Walsh, winner of three Super Bowls with the 49ers, went back to college and coached Stanford for three seasons. Final record in that stint: 17-17-1. Walsh was also a second-time college head coach and younger than Belichick is now, plus never had to encounter the phrase ā€œNIL.ā€

Our Mike Sando says Belichick coaching in the college ranksĀ is more realistic than you might think. I still wonā€™t believe it until he has an introductory news conference. Stay tuned.


News to Know

Yankees make a deal
Two days after Juan Soto snubbed the Yankees, the team agreed to an eight-year, $218 million deal with former Braves pitcher Max Fried. The biggest deal ever for a left-handed pitcher, it lines up with what our Tim Britton had projected, average annual value-wise ($27.25 million), but blows past the five-year deal most thought Fried would get. Friedā€™s only issue: lingering health problems, as the 30-year-old has had multiple instances of forearm issues and finger blisters.Ā Read our report here.

Clark talks Olympic snub
Caitlin Clark is Timeā€™s Athlete of the Year, the magazine announced yesterday, and in a subsequent interview, Clark was quite open about missing the Olympics this year. I was impressed with her nuanced thoughts about deserving a spot on the team while also being upset about the testy narrative surrounding her exclusion. Her full comments are worth a read.

No. 1 recruit picks BYU
AJ Dybantsa ā€” the top recruit in the 2025 basketball class and an elite pro prospect ā€” is going to BYU, he announced on ESPN yesterday, making him the highest-ranked basketball recruit to ever choose the Cougars. Our news report on the commitment illustrates this has been in the works for months, as Dybantsa had moved to Utah as BYU added players and staff to help facilitate the decision.Ā See all those details here.

More news

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NBA Cupdate: OKC is really, really good

We had knockout-round action last night in the NBA Cup, aka when teams actually get eliminated from winning the midseason trophy (and check). Quickly:Ā 

  • In the nightcap, Oklahoma City hustled past Dallas 118-104 to advance. This Thunder team, with Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein added to an already elite roster, is scary.
  • Remember when the Bucks were bad earlier this season? Milwaukee escaped Orlando with a 114-109 win in the early quarterfinal game last night, as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard continue to gel.Ā 

Milwaukee and OKC await the winners of Hawks-Knicks and Warriors-Rockets, respectively. Speaking of:


Watch, Listen and Play

šŸ“ŗ NBA: Hawks at Knicks
7 p.m. ET on ESPN
Could be an absolute banger, as elite New York antagonist Trae Young returns to Madison Square Garden to face a Knicks team playing some great basketball. Golden State-Houston (9:30 p.m. ET on TNT) is also a tantalizing doubleheader option if you want to go straight hoops tonight.

šŸ“ŗ NHL: Rangers at Sabres
7 p.m. ET on TNT/Max
This is a real sickos option, but I love these matchups: Buffalo has lost seven straight and fans are pissed. New York has hit rock bottom. Someone has to win this game. The only way out is through.Ā 

Get tickets to games like these here.

šŸŽ§ ā€œThe Athletic Football Showā€ takes an early ride on the NFL coaching carousel. We know who needs a coach right now, but are there any surprise openings coming? Listen here.


Pulse Picks

The story is fantastic and the pictures are even better. Make time for this feature from Peter Baugh on legendary hockey photographer Bruce Bennett, whoā€™s taken some of the sportā€™s most iconic snaps.Ā 

A fascinating story from Michael Salfino: 75 years later, new findings raised doubt about which Jackie Robinson card was actually his rookie card.Ā 

Donā€™t dismiss the idea of Mike McCarthy staying in Dallas, as Jon Machota writes.Ā 

Most people think the Bengals canā€™t afford to keep Jaā€™Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Joe Burrow disagrees. Paul Dehner Jr. describes how they can do it.

Anthony Edwards is already one of the NBAā€™s young stars, but as Marcus Thompson II details, the Timberwolves standout has turned his jumper into a weapon that could elevate him into rare air.Ā 

Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: The latest NFL power rankings. Catch up if you missed them.Ā 

Most-read on the website yesterday: ā˜ļø

(Top photo: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)





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