The North Carolina Tar Heels are the talk of the sports world right now – and surprisingly, they have nothing to do with basketball.

On Wednesday, December 11, UNC hired NFL legend Bill Belichick as its next head football coach. North Carolina showed initial interest in players like Tulane’s Jon Sumrall and Iowa State’s Matt Campbell and was close to hiring former Notre Dame quarterback Tommy Rees.

However, it was Belichick — with his winning mentality, continued passion for coaching and desire to get back on the sidelines — that led the Tar Heels to hire him.

On Saturday, December 14, at halftime of the UNC-La Salle basketball game, North Carolina officially welcomed Belichick to the full Dean Dome audience.

Everyone in attendance greeted Belichick with thunderous applause – as was to be expected. The Tar Heels are evolving from one of the ACC’s most mediocre programs to one that is now expected to compete for conference championships – and hopefully CFP national titles.

UNC is already seeing the impact of hiring Belichick. 2024 starting offensive linemen Austin Blaske and Aidan Banfield withdrew from the transfer portal. Prospects from 5-star transfer portals are planning visits to Chapel Hill.

Also on Saturday, 4-star quarterback Bryce Baker confirmed that he will remain a Tar Heel – and plans to sign on Wednesday, December 18th. Baker joined Belichick on the court at halftime.

The moves are far from complete. Belichick wants to turn North Carolina into an NFL-like program and previously said UNC would become an NFL program. That means the top talent out there, both in high school and in the portal, should seriously consider Carolina Blue.

After all, every college football player dreams of making it to the NFL. So why not play for Belichick?

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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: Bill Belichick was officially welcomed to Chapel Hill at halftime of the UNC-La Salle basketball game