Heading into a bye week after a loss, especially a 38-10 beatdown, can sting for any football team … college or NFL. But for Bill Belichick’s North Carolina squad, it’s turning out to be more than just a bump in the road.
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Instead of talking about how the Tar Heels can shake off that blowout loss against Clemson, people are wondering if Belichick’s already trying to work out a buyout with the team.
Reports also claim the head coach has been playing favorites, giving his own recruits an edge despite poor performances and missed classes, while players brought in by former head coach Mack Brown haven’t gotten the same treatment. On top of this, general manager Michael Lombardi has been described as “nasty,” and Belichick reportedly “inaccessible” to parents.
Bad look all around … and Colin Cowherd says the warning signs were there from day one. To him, this Tar Heels experiment was simply a money grab for Belichick, who’s clearly more suited for the NFL.
“If I said, give me four or five words that explain the NFL, you’d say- Shield, Corporate, Professional, Business, Kind of cutthroat … If I said, five or six words that explain College Football- Pageantry, Bands, Alumni, Donors, Fun. Which one does it sound like Bill Belichick would fit in?” Cowherd asked on his podcast rhetorically.
“I’ve thought this from the beginning. I thought it was a bit of a money grab. He showed no interest in college football. None. Look at his drafts in the last seven years in New England. He clearly doesn’t watch the sport until he has to at the Senor Bowl,” he added.
Cowherd went on to point out that college football coaches need to have a lighter touch. They’ve got to connect with their players, even celebrate with them after a win, maybe dance a little … something Belichick’s never been known for.
Then there’s the whole situation with his 21-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson. Cowherd said he personally doesn’t have an issue with the relationship, but admitted the age gap can give off an “ick factor” for parents, students, and college officials.
“The Jordan Hudson relationship doesn’t bother me. To each their own. But I mean, she’s kind of the age of some of the players, maybe. To parents, administrators, there’s an ick factor.”
And sure enough, during the bye week, Belichick was spotted vacationing in Nantucket with his young girlfriend. That’s not something you’d see Oregon HC Dan Lanning doing, as Cowherd pointed out.
And Lanning’s team currently sits at 5-1, only just dropping their first game last Saturday, while Belichick’s squad is struggling at 2-3 … a far cry from his promise to produce NFL-level talent and turn around a program at a college that’s all about basketball.
Things couldn’t look much worse, but somehow, Belichick might still have one more in him.
