Bill Belichick on ESPN College GameDay Photo by Allen Kee / ESPN Images
College FootballESPNNFLBy Ben Axelrod on

In the hours since Bill Belichick becoming the head coach of North Carolina first became official, we’re learning more about the legendary head coach’s move to the college ranks.

And based on a new report from ESPN’s Seth Wickersham, a big part of Belichick’s decision came down to his disdain for the NFL, with one confidant referring to it as a “big f— you” to the league.

Writes Wickersham:

If he didn’t fix his new team right away, he’d be dealing with a media narrative for the third straight year in coaching that he’d lost his fastball. College coaches have many headaches — they essentially re-recruit their players daily — but Belichick came to believe that he’d have the space to run his program, winning or losing on his terms, all he has ever asked for. He’ll have what he had in New England: He’ll be the football czar. He knows there are politics, the way there are politics in the NFL, and challenges to building a team, but they feel manageable and worth the risk.

As Wickersham’s post on X promoting the article — which carried the title “Sickened by the politics of the NFL, Belichick aims for a college restart” — made the rounds, many were quick to point out the irony.

Are there politics in the NFL? Of course. But they seemingly pale in comparison to what the eight-time Super Bowl champion will find himself dealing with when it comes to university presidents, trustees, athletic departments, boosters and, of course, the realities of college football’s NIL and transfer portal era.

While Wickersham’s reporting noted that Belichick “knows there are politics” in college football, he seems to be downplaying them. And truth be told, it doesn’t actually sound like it was the “politics” or “stupidness” of the NFL that actually bothered the 72-year-old head coach; rather it was the reality that no team in the league would give him the same power he had with the New England Patriots, if they would have even hired him at all.

Wickersham’s reporting even points out that Belichick spent this past NFL season eyeing potential head coaching vacancies, only to reach the realization that he likely wasn’t a fit for any of them. So yeah, he may have told the league “f— you” with his move to Chapel Hill. But it appears to only have been after the NFL said the same thing to him first.

[ESPN]

About Ben Axelrod

Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.

View all posts by Ben Axelrod