"The reception has been great": Bill Belichick credits UNC nation for accepting him after brief NFL stint

Bill Belichick, now two months into his tenure as North Carolina’s coach, appreciates the warm reception from Tar Heels fans. Speaking with "Go Heels" on Friday, he praised the enthusiasm surrounding the program.

“The reception has been great from all levels,” Belichick said. “The student body at a couple of basketball games and those type of things.”

He even joked about a simple but telling sign of their excitement:

“They seem pretty happy about the pizza, so that was good.”

Beyond the students, Belichick highlighted the support from UNC chancellor Lee Roberts, the administration and alumni. He specifically mentioned Rams Club members and football legends like Lawrence Taylor, Julius Peppers, Harris Barton and Jeff Saturday for helping ease his transition.

With backing from the UNC community, new HC Belichick is settling in — and ready to usher in a new era for Tar Heels football.

Bill Belichick sees UNC football as a sleeping giant

Speaking on the "Carolina Insider" podcast, Bill Belichick outlined his vision: build a national powerhouse by capitalizing on the school’s brand, expanding recruiting reach and securing top in-state talent.

UNC lags in recruiting, but Belichick believes the gap is closing:

"We want to be a national school, and we are a national school,” he said. “This is a national brand. Everybody wants to go to Carolina. [Timestamp - 6:00]

“We've had tremendous interest from student-athletes nationally,” he added. “We're everywhere. We're going to recruit North Carolina hard. This is the most important state. But we also want to have a national presence."

He’s already seeing momentum. High school coaches welcome UNC’s increased involvement, and key figures — including Michael Jordan — have backed his efforts.

“Michael has been great,” Belichick said. “He's been very supportive since I came to Chapel Hill.”

Belichick also underscored UNC’s academic reputation and ACC legacy, aiming to raise the football program to that same elite standard.