Well, Bill Belichick is officially a college man now, and it sounds like he's embracing it. On Thursday, the legendary coach faced the media in Chapel Hill for the first time as head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels.
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And in classic Belichick fashion, he gave us a quote that's already making waves.
"I didn't come here to leave," Belichick said when asked if he could see himself heading back to the NFL after finding success at the college level. That line was enough to draw applause from the room, but let's be real — coaches say a lot of things.
For now, it seems like Belichick is serious about his new gig. He even mentioned that he plans to stick around for a "long time." But here's the thing: Belichick has spent his career mastering the art of saying what's needed to keep the focus on football. Is he really done with the NFL? Or is this just another one of those coach-speak moments we've come to expect?
The reality is, the NFL and Belichick have been drifting apart for a while. His abrupt departure from New England last year marked the end of an era, but it also felt like a mutual breakup.
Maybe the league moved on, or maybe Belichick did. Either way, don't expect him to pick up the phone if an NFL team calls anytime soon.
Then again, this is Bill Belichick we're talking about. If there's one thing we've learned over the years, it's that he's unpredictable. For now, Tar Heels fans can enjoy the ride — and hope it really is a long one. But in college football, "long time" can be a short leash.
