Bill Belichick's latest ranking reveals a brutal truth about North Carolina

Oct 17, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick looks on before the game against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

When Bill Belichick arrived in college football, it felt like one of the biggest stories the sport had seen in years. The coach who won six Super Bowls with the Patriots was suddenly walking college sidelines. Many expected immediate success.

Instead, Sporting News' latest coach rankings tell a different story. Belichick dropped from No. 18 to No. 56 entering the 2026 season, one of the biggest falls in the entire ranking.

The NFL resume only goes so far

No coach entering college football has ever brought a résumé like Belichick's. He's universally regarded as one of the greatest NFL coaches of all time. But college football isn't the NFL.

Roster management is different. Recruiting is different. Booster relationships matter. NIL matters. Transfer portal evaluations matter. The modern college game demands a completely different skill set. Belichick is still learning that reality.

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Expectations were always going to be unfair

Part of the challenge is that Belichick's reputation created impossible expectations. Anything short of immediate contention was going to feel disappointing. North Carolina wasn't hiring just another successful coach. The Tar Heels hired a football icon.

That naturally raises the bar. Every loss becomes a headline. Every setback becomes national news. Few coaches face that kind of scrutiny.

The story isn't finished

The ranking isn't necessarily an indictment of Belichick's future. It's a reflection of where things stand right now. Many successful college coaches needed time to establish themselves at new programs. Belichick could follow that same path.

But the latest rankings serve as a reminder that college football doesn't hand out victories based on past accomplishments. Even legends have to earn them.

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