Mack Brown slams UNC Tar Heels for lowering standards to help Bill Belichick

Bill Belichick has yet to coach a game at North Carolina, but his presence is already reshaping the program in dramatic fashion-and not without controversy. Former Tar Heels head coach Mack Brown hits out at the program.

Brown, who was dismissed midway through the 2024 football season, is speaking out about what he sees as lowered academic and ethical standards at the university, all in the name of accelerating ex-New England Patriots coach's success.

The 73-year-old offered a pointed critique of the changes made at Chapel Hill since his departure such as increased financial investment to altered academic expectations, painting a picture of a university willing to bend its long-held principles for glory.

"They've committed money to it," Brown told SiriusXM Radio. "They've helped him with academics.

"They've lowered those standards some. So, there's absolutely no reason they shouldn't be successful."

UNC's decision to hire Belichick came with considerable as the Tar Heels signed him to a five-year, $10 million contract, a figure unprecedented for the school. But his change goes deeper.

beyond salary, the infrastructure around the six-time Super Bowl champion has undergone a transformation and one of the most significant shifts has come in the form of the Tar Heels' Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) funding.

According to USA Today, UNC increased its NIL budget from $4 million to $20 million ahead of the 2025 season and it's already paying off, amassing a current roster includes over 60 transfer players, completely overhauling the team.

"They've changed the roster," Brown said. "You've got a chance to succeed at the highest level, and I expect him to do that and I'm proud for him.

"We were having to get parents with money, we were trying to get kids over a 3.0 because that's who we could get. We signed 26 players and didn't pay them a penny."

These revelations come just months before Belichick's debut game, scheduled for September 1 at home against TCU. While expectations are soaring, Brown's remarks highlight an uncomfortable truth: the standards that once defined the program have been reshaped to fast-track success.

Whether those changes will pay off on the field or lead to long-term ramifications for the university's academic and athletic reputation remains to be seen, as well as any impact on Belichick's legacy too.

Brown told college player to quit Tar Heels

Brown pointed out that the being given to Belichick, financially and institutionally, was not available to him and even went on to recall how he advised a player to quit the college.

Limited by both NIL resources and rigid academic entry requirements, the football coach told Omarion Hampton, a standout running back, to seek new pastures and more money.

"I told him he should leave," Brown said. "It was just crazy."