Bill Belichick could be fired by UNC in 2026, report says

Bill Belichick landed in North Carolina with the promise of turning the Tar Heels football program into the 33rd NFL team. One day away from the start of his second season in Chapel Hill and one of the greatest coaches to ever live is facing tremendous pressure to keep his job.

Nothing has been roses for Big Bill during his first stint in college football. In fact, many would argue the jump backwards after being fired from the Patriots has placed a stain on his legacy. Regardless of what happened, the Super Bowl runs were outstanding. However, how much of that was Belichick working within Tom Brady's level of competition? The argument can be made that Brady made Belichick great and not the other way around.

This doesn't take away the great years as a collective effort. Brady was able to win a title without Belichick, which won't happen again from either side.

Last college football season featured one of the most historic coaching carousels. Every week seems like another coach biting the dust. Could we see the same in 2026? It's possible. The Athletic checked the hot seat temperature of several coaches before the start of the season, including Belichick.

“I’d be shocked if he’s coaching (at UNC) next year. It’s a mess there with Lombardi and his son," an industry source told The Athletic. 

Belichick was hired as a $10 million per year replacement for Mack Brown. Ironically, UNC never had a worse record than 6-7 under the former ESPN analyst. Belichick's four-win season put many things into perspective, including what happens from here on out?

More: Hoover following Mendoza as Indiana QB mirrors Frost replacing Frazier at Nebraska 30 years earlier

This is still in the football realm and isn't tied into the off-the-field dysfunction surrounding the program. Belichick's handpicked general manager, Mike Lombardi, is under investigation by UNC officials. Also, Belichick’s son, Steve, the Tar Heels defensive coordinator, is on leave for medical reasons.

UNC opens the season this weekend in Dublin, Ireland, in a must-win pivotal rematch against TCU (Noon ET, ESPN).

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