It still feels surreal, but Bill Belichick is officially the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels football team.
The move became official on Wednesday, with the former New England Patriots head coach making his first venture into collegiate coaching. Now, all that’s left is to speculate on what the future holds for Belichick and his new program.
Let’s start with North Carolina’s 2025 football schedule. While the full schedule won’t be released until mid-January when the ACC finalizes dates, all opponents are known, and the first four nonconference games already have set dates.
With that in mind, here are some way-too-early game predictions for Belichick’s debut season at UNC.
Aug. 30: vs. TCU
The Horned Frogs will be three years removed from their national championship appearance in 2025. After a lackluster 2023 season, they rebounded in 2024 with an 8-4 record and a New Mexico Bowl berth.
Belichick could make a debut splash similar to Deion Sanders at Colorado, opening the season with a win over TCU.
Prediction: Win (1-0)
Sept. 6: at Charlotte
The 49ers haven’t had a winning season since 2019, managing just 18 wins since then. While it will be unusual to see Belichick on the road against a lower-tier AAC opponent, this matchup should still result in a comfortable Tar Heels victory.
Prediction: Win (2-0)
Sept. 13: vs. Richmond
Richmond had a strong 10-3 campaign this season, though one of their losses came against and ACC opponent in Virginia. Despite their success, the Spiders will likely fall short against a Belichick-coached Tar Heels team.
Prediction: Win (3-0)
Sept. 20: at UCF
This game will feature two programs under new leadership. Scott Frost is back at UCF, and the Knights could be tough in their home stadium. UNC’s streak ends here.
Prediction: Loss (3-1)
Date TBA: vs. Clemson
Clemson’s talent edge, even without transfer portal use, makes them the favorite. Watching Dabo Swinney and Belichick square off will be a must-watch spectacle.
Prediction: Loss (3-2)
Date TBA: vs. Duke
Manny Diaz has turned Duke into a formidable ACC contender, finishing 9-3 this season, with a chance to make it 10 with a bowl victory. The Blue Devils likely have the better roster and make it two straight wins over UNC.
Prediction: Loss (3-3)
Date TBA: vs. Stanford
Stanford hasn’t won more than three games in a season since 2018. This feels like a win for UNC.
Prediction: Win (4-3)
Date TBA: vs. Virginia
Tony Elliott’s tenure at Virginia has been rocky, with team off the field issues playing into part of that. Belichick secures another ACC win at home.
Prediction: Win (5-3)
Date TBA: at California
Traveling to Berkeley to face Cal will be a unique test, but with the Golden Bears losing their talented quarterback in Fernando Mendoza to the transfer portal, UNC could prevail here.
Prediction: Win (6-3)
Date TBA: at NC State
CJ Bailey keeps his promise and the Wolfpack continue their streak over UNC, making it five straight wins against their rival.
Prediction: Loss (6-4)
Date TBA: at Syracuse
Fran Brown is building something special at Syracuse, and after a strong season, the Orange protect their home turf.
Prediction: Loss (6-5)
Date TBA: at Wake Forest
An upset seems inevitable for Belichick’s first season, and Wake Forest could be the team to deliver it. UNC’s four-game winning streak over the Demon Deacons comes to an end.
Prediction: Loss (6-6)
A bowl berth would be considered a successful first season for Bill Belichick
So much can change between now and the start of the 2025 season. Rosters will evolve, and coaching staffs will make adjustments, but projecting Belichick to lead UNC to a bowl game in his debut year seems reasonable.