Bill Belichick needs some ‘Luck of the Irish’
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
The Bill Belichick Era in Chapel Hill has gotten off to a rough start. On the field, a subpar roster and a whiff on transfer quarterback Gio Lopez resulted in a 4-8 College Football season in Bill Belichick’s first as North Carolina Head Coach.
Off the field, there’s HR Investigations, CSC probes, and curiosity about who wears the pants in Belichick’s relationship with Jordon Hudson. To start the season, the Tar Heels travel to Dublin, Ireland. For Bill’s sake, he’d better find the Blarney Stone and not the “Dublin Curse” that has engulfed three teams who have made the trip across the Atlantic.
MORE:College Football conference power rankings ahead of 2026 Week 0
Belichick’s first season was a disaster
Ironically, the very first possession of the Belichick Era provided a whole lot of good vibes. A 7-play, 83-yard TD drive that saw the offense rip through the TCU defense at breakneck speed had Tar Heel fans enthusiastic about their new ball coach. TCU responded with a 48-7 run, ending the game with a final score of 48-14.
The rest of the season continued from there, as the Tar Heels limped to a 4-8 record. In my opinion, Belichick and GM Michael Lombardi failed to make great use of the transfer portal, giving more money to guys who hadn’t earned it and missing out on better options, and just didn’t have the horses to compete in the ACC in Year One.
Speaking of Lombardi, he’s currently on administrative leave following an HR investigation into a complaint from a former employee. One of the perks of bringing Belichick in as Head Coach was the staff he could bring in with him.
This includes his defensive coordinator and son Steve Belichick, who’s currently on medical leave. Belichick also brought in offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens, who’s no longer with the program and has been replaced by Bobby Petrino. So if his eye for talent is failing, and the staff he has brought in has been a collective failure, what exactly are the positives to having Belichick around?
MORE:College Football top 25 power rankings ahead of 2026 Week 0
Can Belichick reverse the Dublin curse?
That’s exactly what Tar Heel fans and boosters are wondering entering year two. And that year two starts off like last season, against TCU, but this time the game is in Ireland. Let’s talk about the Dublin Curse. The trip to Ireland has not fared well for the teams that lose.
In 2022, Nebraska lost the game, went 4-8, and fired Scott Frost. In 2024, Florida State lost to Georgia Tech as massive favorites and went 2-10. Last season, Kansas State lost to Iowa State, went 6-6, and had its head coach retire. If you believe in curses, this does not bode well for Belichick and his Tar Heel team that enters the game as 7.5-point underdogs.
So how exactly can Belichick reverse the Dublin Curse and right the ship in his stint in Chapel Hill? Well, given that the defense didn’t really improve in the transfer portal, the offensive line play doesn’t appear to be better than last year, and he brought in Billy Edwards Jr from Wisconsin to be his starting quarterback, I think that old Bill is going to need the luck of the Irish.
His team is outmatched, out-talented, and he could be on his way out the door. Bill’s best chance at redemption? Finding the legendary Blarney Stone, giving himself some Irish luck, winning the game, and reversing the Dublin curse! Otherwise, I hope he has his resume and references in order for his next job search.
— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos