Bill Belichick and the North Carolina Tar Heels pulled off a 20-15 win over Stanford on Saturday, improving to 4-5 this season. Despite the victory, UNC’s schedule doesn’t get any easier, as the Tar Heels look ahead to crucial games against rivals Wake Forest, North Carolina State, and Duke. The outcomes of these matchups will ultimately determine if Belichick and his team earn a spot in a bowl game.
Following the Stanford win, Belichick emphasized the importance of building on the momentum. “We’ve got the three games in North Carolina now,” he stated. “This is the heart of our schedule. We need to play our best football, have our best week of practice, play our best football on Saturday.”
Belichick’s dedication to these upcoming rivalry games is clear, even if he tends to downplay their significance publicly. Analyst Myers noted, “Get ready to get Wake important to him, although he’ll never admit that.” He added that Belichick is also motivated by the goal of winning a Super Bowl without Tom Brady, something “Belichick very much wants to do.”
In addition to his current coaching role, Myers revealed another layer to Belichick’s football passions. He “loves the Giants,” suggesting that if the team were to fire Brian Daboll, Belichick might pursue the opportunity to succeed him. “He gets emotional and melancholy reminiscing about his Giant years,” Myers explained. “Although that was a long time ago, the Giants have stolen his heart.”
Myers also noted the positive relationship between Belichick and Giants owner John Mara: “I do know that John Mara has a good relationship with Bill. Whether that means he would hire him, I don’t know.”
Belichick is currently one season into his five-year, $50 million contract with the Tar Heels. Interestingly, he could buy his way out of his North Carolina deal for $1 million—a relatively small amount if he were to move to the Giants. North Carolina could also choose to release him, though that would likely come with a cost, and there’s no indication the school is interested in doing so at this time.
Meanwhile, the New York Giants continue to struggle, falling to 2-8 after a 24-20 loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday. With the team’s disappointing performance, it’s possible that Daboll could be relieved of his duties at some point between now and the end of the season. This development could open the door for Belichick to return to the NFL, potentially with the Giants.
https://www.newsweek.com/sports/nfl/bill-belichick-linked-to-nfl-head-coaching-job-in-2026-11018989
