Bill Belichick On Why He Banned New England Patriots Scouts From UNC: “I’m Not Welcome There”

Come on Bill, you’re better than this.

Legendary NFL coach Bill Belichick finally got his first win as a college football coach this weekend when the UNC Tar Heels took down the powerhouse…Charlotte 49ers, 20-3.

It may not have been a signature win, but it was much needed after the Tar Heels opened the season with an embarrassing loss to the TCU Horned Frogs in week one, losing 48-14 in Belichick’s coaching debut. And when you throw in all of the distractions and drama surrounding his 24-year old girlfriend Jordon Hudson, many college football fans were already ready to write off the legendary coach’s tenure in Chapel Hill as a failure after just one game.

If Belichick can’t find success at the college level, it would be a sad ending to a legendary career after the coach won six Super Bowls during his 23 seasons with the New England Patriots. But unfortunately it sounds like there’s still some hard feelings with the way his tenure ended at his previous job too.

Belichick was fired by the Patriots following the 2023 season, after the team’s second consecutive losing season and second straight season missing the playoffs. It was the only time during his 23 years in Foxborough that the team had two losing seasons in a row, and the team hadn’t been to the Super Bowl since 2018 – the longest stretch of his career with the Patriots without making the big game.

Of course the departure of quarterback Tom Brady no doubt had a lot to do with his falloff, and it was announced that Belichick and the team had “mutually agreed” to part ways, but it’s pretty clear that the coach wasn’t happy with the way he was let go after such an incredible career.

And apparently those hard feelings have spilled over into his new gig.

Earlier this week, it was reported that Belichick had banned New England Patriots scouts from UNC facilities. And after yesterday’s win, Belichick explained why his former team isn’t welcome at his new program:

“It’s clear that I’m not welcome there around their facility, so they’re not welcome in ours. Pretty simple.”

Now, I’m not entirely sure why Belichick says he’s not welcome at Patriots facilities. After he was fired, owner Robert Kraft invited Belichick to speak at Tom Brady’s induction into the New England Patriots Hall of Fame, where he was seated at a table directly next to the owner. And just this past week, Kraft confirmed that he planned to erect a Bill Belichick statue outside of Gillette Stadium once the coach’s career is over:

“When that great 20 year era ended, it was always my intention to commission a statue of both Tommy and Bill when their respective careers were over, playing and coaching. And when Bill’s coaching career ends, we look forward to sitting down with him and having a statue made to be right next to Tommy.”

It sure doesn’t sound like somebody who’s not welcome at their facility.

There were also reports that surfaced from sources close to Belichick that the Patriots had told a staffer to remove a UNC shirt in the team’s weight room. But the Patriots denied that report, and quarterback Drake Maye is a UNC alum who has been spotted around the facility in UNC gear, so who knows.

Either way, the move from Belichick only hurts his own players – and it sounds like it’s all over a personal beef with his former team.

Not a good look for the legendary coach.The post Bill Belichick On Why He Banned New England Patriots Scouts From UNC: “I’m Not Welcome There” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.