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You would think that at 72 years old, Bill Belichick would decide to retire from football or any work after decades of success in the NFL - with numerous accomplishments and records such as most Super Bowl wins (8), two as an assistant with the New York Giants, six as the head coach of New England, and 333 total wins, second only to Don Shula's all-time record of 347. But instead, Belichick is taking on a new challenge as the head coach of North Carolina. He likely chose the job because his father, Steve Belichick, was an assistant coach for the Tar Heels in the 1950s, and because he couldn't stay away from coaching for more than a year after his departure from the Patriots in 2023 - a season that marked the low point of his legendary 29-year tenure in New England.
Belichick will enter next season as the oldest head coach in the NCAA, but based on his track record, there's little doubt he'll excel. He may be the greatest talent evaluator in NFL history, and his scouting successes speak for themselves. However, the college game is very different. He must adapt to the transfer portal and the complexities of name, image, and likeness (NIL) contracts. Perhaps he could take a page from the Deion Sanders playbook, especially when it comes to managing the portal. Like Belichick, Sanders transitioned from NFL icon to college head coach and has become a polarizing yet influential figure in the NCAA, the latest proof of which is that two of his players will likely be top-five picks in the NFL draft.
Belichick and Sanders: Two Different Recruiting Styles
Belichick is putting in the work on the recruiting trail, traveling extensively along the East Coast and southeastern United States to build a hired hand roster for 2025. His old-school approach - meeting prospects in person, often in a suit and tie - contrasts sharply with Sanders, who hasn't made a single in-home or off-campus recruiting visit for the second straight year. Instead, Sanders has leaned on his reputation and Colorado's lure to secure top talent, including five-star quarterback Julian Lewis and Alabama transfer Jeheim Oatis.
Despite their different approaches, Belichick has earned the right to recruit like Sanders, given his eight Super Bowl rings and decades of dominance. But unlike Sanders - whose contract at Colorado even includes a $200,000 private airfare budget for recruiting that he hasn't used - Belichick has taken a hands-on, grind-it-out approach. His willingness to hit the road and personally connect with recruits suggests that he is fully invested in building North Carolina into a competitive program. I mean he's expected to be there for five years, so maybe it won't be about how it starts, but how he finishes.
What to Expect from Belichick at UNC and Sanders at Colorado
North Carolina's football program has lacked championship success in the ACC, with its last conference title coming in 1980. The school is transitioning from a 73-year-old head coach in Mack Brown to a 72-year-old, but Belichick's arrival could bring a new level of discipline, structure and talent evaluation that could elevate the program. However, competing with recruiting powerhouses like Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and other top college programs will be a challenge, especially in an era dominated by NIL deals and player movement.
Meanwhile, Sanders faces his own challenges at Colorado as he prepares for life without his two best players from the past two seasons - his son, Shedeur Sanders, and Heisman winnerTravis Hunter. However, he has bolstered his coaching staff with two NFL Hall of Famers: Warren Sapp, who returns to oversee the defensive line, and Marshall Faulk, a former MVP and Super Bowl champion, who s as the running backs coach. Faulk's arrival signals a strategic shift for Colorado as Sanders looks to rebuild an offense that has relied heavily on Shedeur's ing. The presence of two elite football minds like Faulk and Sapp could attract even more young talent to the Buffaloes' program.