Patriots’ Mike Vrabel reacts to Bill Belichick’s disastrous college coaching debut at North Carolina

The Bill Belichick era in Chapel Hill got off to a horrific start, as his North Carolina Tar Heels were blown out by the TCU Horned Frogs on Monday night, 48-14. UNC put together a seven-play, 83-yard touchdown drive to start off the game, and then were completely run off the field — giving up 41 straight points.

The 48 points UNC allowed were the most points Belichick has allowed in his 512-game coaching career. The Tar Heels certainly didn’t look like a team that was being run by a coach that won six Super Bowls during his time with the New England Patriots.

Inside Bill Belichick’s North Carolina debut: The rise, the fall, and the party that became a funeral

John Talty

The new lead man in New England, former Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel, spent eight seasons playing for Belichick and was asked about his old coach’s college debut on “The Greg Hill Show” Tuesday morning. Vrabel said he didn’t get to see much of the game and didn’t seem too willing to play ball as the hosts sarcastically commented on the outcome of the game. 

When asked if he believes it will take some time to get college program like Belichick’s at North Carolina going, Vrabel offered a pretty flat response.

“I don’t know. Urban Meyer won 12 of the first 12 games at Ohio State, so it didn’t take him long. That’s my experience in college football,” Vrabel said. 

Vrabel spent three seasons as a college assistant, working with the linebackers and later the defensive line at Ohio State. That includes the 2012 season, when Meyer, as he mentioned, came in and went a perfect 12-0.

Vrabel likely wasn’t taking a shot at Belichick. After all, he was a member of three of Belichick’s Super Bowl-winning teams. Vrabel, the 2021 NFL Coach of the Year, brought up how the college football landscape is incredibly different these days with NIL and new transfer rules. Belichick completely turned over the UNC roster since arriving on campus, which included bringing in somewhere in the range of 70 new players. 

“I mean, I think I can only imagine the landscape of college football now,” Vrabel said. “‘Hey who are you?’ ‘Oh I just came from wherever.’ I’m sure it’s probably not as easy outside of the top few programs.”

Vrabel has his own debut to worry about, as his Patriots kick off the 2025 season Sunday vs. the new-look Las Vegas Raiders led by Pete Carroll on Sunday.