CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Bill Belichick spent time after his NFL exit talking with college football coaches wanting his thoughts on managing new wrinkles at their level that looked a lot like the pros.
The mandatory timeout at the 2-minute warning. The transfer portal as de facto free agency. Collectives generating name, image and likeness money for athletes becoming like a payroll. The impending arrival of revenue sharing.
It didn’t take long for Belichick to envision how a college program should look based on his own NFL experience.
“I do think there are a lot of parallels,” Belichick said.
And that’s at least partly why the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach is now taking over at the University of North Carolina. Years of rapid change have only increased the professionalization of college football across the country, with schools adjusting staffing to handle growing duties once seemingly more fitting for a pro team.