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North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick has dominated the college football conversation this offseason, sparking intense debate over where he should rank among his coaching peers. So, is he king of the hill, or little more than another rookie?
The former New England Patriots mastermind, who holds six Super Bowl titles, is stepping into the college arena for the first time in his storied career as he heads to the NCAA with the Tar Heels.
While many expected a buzz around his transition, the level of scrutiny and speculation has far exceeded initial expectations, fueled not only by his legendary NFL resume but also by his off-field life in recent months.
The question facing analysts and fans alike is how to weigh Belichick's unparalleled NFL success against his lack of college experience, and this was evident in CBS Sports' annual rankings, where he landed 54th, behind several coaches with far less pedigree.
The divergence in opinions about Belichick's potential as a college coach is stark. CBS Sports reached out to two voters with opposing views on his ranking to better understand the reasoning behind their placements.
For example, Richard Johnson, who ranked Belichick near the bottom at No. 67, articulated his skepticism clearly.
"My rationale is simple here," Johnson told CBS Sports. "There are two men who have never coached college football at all in this group: Bill Belichick and Frank Reich.
"Belichick was a better NFL coach so he beat out Reich, but I have them second to last and last in my rankings on principle.
"Hiring the best coach of all time sounds good in a vacuum, but there is just no telling how good he's actually going to be."
He points out that the North Carolina program was struggling under Mack Brown, which partly explains why Belichick was hired, suggesting transforming their fortunes may be a struggle.
Furthermore, he noted that the Patriots had middling to poor seasons in the 73-year-old's final years as their head coach, casting doubt on his current effectiveness.
Why might Belichick be a Top 20 coach?
On the other side of the spectrum, John Talty, who placed Belichick at No. 19, believes that the legendary NFL coach has the tools to succeed immediately in the ACC's open competitive landscape.
He points to the NFL veteran's knack for maximizing player potential, pointing to the arrival of South Alabama quarterback transfer Gio Lopez and a moderately talented roster as evidence that North Carolina could reach eight wins in year one.
While national championship aspirations seem far-fetched in the near term, Talty argues that Belichick's strategic brilliance and drive to exploit schematic advantages set him apart from other coaches attempting the transition from the NFL to college.
"Call me crazy," Talty countered to CBS Sports. "But I'm betting on the NFL's greatest coach finding a way to win in a wide-open ACC.
"Outside of Clemson, there aren't any ACC teams on the schedule that feel like definite losses for Belichick's Tar Heels.
"Can he elevate UNC and out-coach some teams that don't exactly wow you with their Xs and Os prowess? Absolutely. We've seen successful NFL coaches like Lovie Smith fail in their transition to the college game.
"But Belichick is the best to ever attempt it and the one whose unrelenting desire to find any and every schematic advantage possible gives him a leg up on many of his new peers."