“I think NFL, and NFL only”: Stephen A Smith harshly rejects Bill Belichick’s UNC move

Former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick has agreed to become the next coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels. This will be the legendary NFL coach's first spell in college football, where he will have to deal with things he has never had before, like recruitment and the NIL.

While the appointment of Belichick has been seen positively by some, other people are not as enthusiastic about the idea. One of these people is Stephen A Smith. The analyst said on Tuesday's edition of "First Take":

"I want to say this respectfully, I think that [job] is beneath him," Smith said. "North Carolina is not in the SEC, it’s not some big-time football program, that’s a basketball school… I see Bill Belichick and I think NFL, and NFL only."

For Smith, Bill Belichick will always be connected with the NFL. This is no surprise. He helped turn the Patriots into a dynasty and won numerous Super Bowls.

However, suggesting that Belichick is taking a step down and that the job is "beneath him" shows that Smith may not understand the current state of college football.

While the Tar Heels are known more for their basketball success, and the ACC not being one of the "big two" conferences (the SEC and Big Ten), the football program can be competitive with the right talent, and it can cause an upset in the college football world.

But in 2024, college football is more like the professional game seen in the NFL than it was 10 years ago. Coaches now have to deal with players' sponsorship deals (the NIL), and players are soon likely to be paid for playing.

Belichick dealt with these situations when with the Patriots. While recruitment and the transfer portal will be new experiences, the Tar Heels are in safe hands when negotiating a more "NFL-like" college football landscape.

Former Patriot calls Belichick a "control freak."

Steven A Smith is not the only person who disagrees with Bill Belichick's move to college football. Former Patriots running back Damien Harris gave his strong verdict on Belichick on an edition of The Athletic's Until Saturday podcast.

“I mean this in the most respectful way possible. Bill is a control freak," Harris said. "Bill has to have absolute control. When he was in New England, he was the head coach. He was essentially our GM. He wore a lot of hats. On college football, it doesn’t really work that way."

"Another thing I point at is at the end of Bill’s tenure in New England, I think the ultimate reason why the two sides parted ways was because Bill did not really evolve with the times of the NFL."

“And if he didn’t evolve at a position where he had been coaching for over 40 years, I mean, he takes a year or two off, and then you think that he’s going to be able to come to the college world where it’s nothing but survive and adapt every single day? …It just doesn’t really seem like it would be a perfect fit.”

Bill Belichick in college football is going to feel weird to many. For him, it is likely to be the ultimate test. From this, he will hope to show the world that he wasn't only such due to Tom Brady and can adapt to the ever changing environment.

If he does this, it will be another addition to his impressive coaching career.