Bill Belichick Ripped by UNC Insider Amid Hot-Seat Rumors, 'We're Stuck With This Problem'

Some people involved with UNC are unhappy with the Tar Heels' decision to stick with head coach Bill Belichick in the wake of an investigation into the culture of their football program, according to The Athletic's Brendan Marks, Bruce Feldman and Matt Baker .

North Carolina chancellor Lee Roberts said Belichick had support from the UNC administration and Board of Trustees after the investigation, which led to the departures of general manager Michael Lombardi and defensive coordinator Steve Belichick.

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That sentiment wasn't backed by everyone speaking anonymously to Marks, Feldman and Baker.

"We had our five minutes of fame. Now we're stuck with this problem," one former trustee told Marks, Feldman and Baker.

Another person who was interviewed as part of the investigation told Marks, Feldman and Baker, "If it was anyone but Belichick, they'd be gone."

People within the UNC organization also indicated to The Athletic they saw the departure of Lombardi, who was hired two months after Belichick, as a positive, according to Marks, Feldman and Baker.

"None of our opinions mattered to Mike," someone connected to UNC told Marks, Feldman and Baker. "He'd say, you guys haven't been in 30 drafts like I have — and we would say, 'But we've been in 30 more recruiting classes than you! You've never done what you're doing now.'"

One person told Marks, Feldman and Baker that the Tar Heels coach can make people within UNC "comfortable moving forward" if he can get the team to six wins and bowl eligibility, a goal within sight after a 2-1 start to Belichick's second season with the program.

The Tar Heels went 4-8 in their first season under Belichick, making the program's lowest win total since Larry Fedora was coaching the team in 2019.

UNC signed Belichick to a five-year, $50 million contract ahead of the 2025 season. The deal, which featured three years of guaranteed money if fired without cause, also involved UNC pledging to increase spending on assistant coaches, support staff and student-athlete pay.

The Tar Heels' incoming class for 2025 was ultimately ranked No. 9 for transfers but No. 29 overall by 247Sports ahead of the team's four-win season.

Lombardi took a leave of absence after the season before resigning as general manager in September ahead of the release of the internal investigation, which stated the university had found "certain actions demonstrated a disregard for Carolina's values and standards of conduct" but that these actions were "not a systemic failure."

Lead investigator Nate Huff told the AP's Aaron Beard the investigation had involved interviews of more than 60 people, including Belichick.

According to Marks, Feldman and Baker, some sources within UNC felt the school's statement essentially absolved the head coach of allowing systemic issues "cost UNC much, if not all, of its leverage to potentially fire Belichick for cause at season's end."

Belichick is now preparing in the wake of that investigation for his team's toughest matchup of the season so far against visiting No. 3 Notre Dame.

He could strengthen his case to keep his job in Chapel Hill if he is able to lead UNC to the program's first win over a top-five opponent since 2004 following Saturday's noon kickoff.