Bill Belichick ’s highly anticipated first game as a college football coach went about as poorly as it could have.

Eight months after his stunning hire at North Carolina last December, Belichick’s Tar Heels team was embarrassed by TCU in a 48-14 blowout in its 2025 season-opener, a game in which it was outgained by a 542-222 margin in front of a national television audience on Labor Day.

The lopsided setback has raised larger questions about Belichick and whether the 73-year-old coach, despite his six Super Bowls and 302 career NFL wins, is equipped to excel at the college level.

For now, though, there are more immediate and pressing concerns — including at the sport’s highest-profile position.

Some of North Carolina’s most glaring shortcomings in the loss to the Horned Frogs came at q

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