Rival NC State head coach Dave Doeren addresses Bill Belichick's $50M move

Bill Belichick signed a five-year, $50 million contract earlier this week to become the next coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels. The move has generated a lot of attention, which does not come as a surprise. Belichick has had a legendary NFL career, winning six Super Bowls as the head coach of the New England Patriots alongside quarterback Tom Brady.

With Belichick set to coach a team in the ACC in the 2025 college football season, other ACC coaches were bound to field questions about the signing. This occurred on Thursday at an NC State Wolfpack press conference. Head coach Dave Doeren was asked about his views on Bill Belichick coaching a rival school's football team. This is what he had to say:

"That's the first question I'm gonna get today, shocker (laughs). Well one, welcome to the ACC and excited to compete agianst coach. Obviously all coaches in the business have a great amount of respect and know what he's done in the profession so for me as a competitor I'm excited to compete."

"You know that's all I have to say about it because I'm not really thinking all whole lot about that program. I'm thinking about my own."

He was cordial in welcoming Bill Belichick to the ACC. However, he did not spend much time speaking about him, preferring to focus on his program and what's to come for NC State (6-6). The Wolfpack narrowly qualified for a bowl game and will play East Carolina in the Military Bowl.

Bill Belichick hiring makes waves in college football world

Many pundits have called it a surprising move for Belichick to transition to college football at this stage of his career. After all, Belichick had never coached at the college level before.

The celebrated coach worked at the NFL level shortly after he graduated from university. He got his first job as an assistant coach in 1975 and held that role with several teams before getting his first head coaching job with the Cleveland Browns in 1991. He coached there for five seasons before he was fired after he struggled to find success.

He would then spend a few years as an assistant again before getting hired by the Patriots in 2000. That was when his career took off, and he spent over 20 years there until 2023.