Sports
When UNC hired Bill Belichick, the plan for success was expected to be a long-term one. It wasn’t going to be easy for the legendary NFL head coach to impart his ways and succeed right from the get-go. But his debut left many concerned, due to the sheer gap that was seen.
The North Carolina Tar Heels got crushed by TCU, losing 48-14 at home. A year after going 6-7 in Mack Brown‘s final season with the program, it seems that Belichick has his work cut out for him in terms of turning it around. Making matters worse is more public eyes from around the state of North Carolina, especially since Duke is gaining national attention.
Bill Belichick gets physical with his North Carolina players
Duke wants to become a blue blood in college football in addition to basketball
A report from John Talty of CBS Sports recently highlighted the emphasis that Duke put on football heading into the 2025 season. Traditionally a basketball-dominant school, the university invested heavily in the football program in order to try to become a force in that sport as well.
The shift began when Duke signed head coach Manny Diaz to a generous contract before the 2024 season. The Blue Devils went 9-4 in his first year, and proceeded to keep the momentum going this past offseason. Duke splashed the cash to bring over highly-touted young quarterback Darian Mensah from Tulane. The school’s athletic director, Nina King, is adamant that Duke can take its football program to the next level sooner than later.
“We’ve got this men’s basketball program that is absolutely elite, top of the top in the brand,” King told CBS Sports. “But why can’t football be right there with men’s basketball? We’re here, we want to compete.” King says Duke wants to be a College Football Playoff-caliber team and believes it can be. “It’s not title-or-bust, but can we play at that level?” King asks. “Absolutely, I think we can get there.”
With Diaz at the helm, a strong roster in place and talented recruits coming in for the future, the sky appears to be the limit in Durham. Perhaps Belichick will end up following their path.
This news was originally published on this post .
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