Paul Finebaum slams Bill Belichick, says NFL legend will be fired midseason at UNC originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
As some former NFL players head back to various college football teams, Bill Belichick is trying to find ways to win ahead of the 2026 season. But one of ESPN's most outspoken voices is out on the NFL legend and his tenure at North Carolina.
Paul Finebaum believes the Belichick experiment is coming to an end in Chapel Hill. He doesn't see the Tar Heels improving in the season year under the future Hall of Famer.
While appearing on Tuesday's episode of ESPN's First Take, Finebaum predicted that Belichick wouldn't finish the 2026 season. If UNC were to let him go before the remaining year on his contract, the move would need to be back with a replacement plan. Otherwise, why get rid of Belichick and not see the entire process run its course?
"I'm not pulling for Bill Belichick," Finebaum said. "He's a grouch, he's a bully and his career in college is about to go down in flames... it is mass chaos in Chapel Hill,"
UNC went 4-8 under Belichick last year. Considering he hasn't been on campus for over two years, some might think pulling the plug on "Big Bill" would be premature. Not from Finebaum's vantage point.
"I don't think Bill Belichick is going to survive until the end of the season," he added.
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For absolute clarity, Belichick's tenure thus far has been underwhelming. What started out with a bang hasn't transitioned into keeping the fans entertained with outstanding play on the field. Sure, we've had unpredictable headlines about Belichick's off-the-field activities. But for the coach who has touted a deep history of winning at the highest level, he hasn't figured out how to compete at UNC.
"I see no way this is going to be a successful landing or ending for Belichick," Finebaum said as a parting shot.
UNC faces Big 12 dark horse TCU in Dublin, Ireland on Saturday (Noon ET, ESPN).
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