New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel appeared to critique Bill Belichick’s underwhelming start at North Carolina, drawing a comparison to Urban Meyer’s successful first season at Ohio State. During an appearance on WEEI’s ‘The Greg Hill Show,’ Vrabel was asked about Belichick’s debut with UNC, which resulted in a blowout loss to TCU. While Vrabel acknowledged that building a program takes time, he highlighted that Meyer won all 12 of his first games at Ohio State, suggesting Belichick’s struggles were unexpected.
Vrabel, who coached under Belichick during his NFL career, noted that the current landscape of college football differs significantly from when he was in the game, indicating that success may be harder to achieve outside the top programs. The Tar Heels lost 48-14, struggling to match TCU’s offensive output, which put up 41 unanswered points and outgained UNC by 320 yards.
The loss highlighted the challenges Belichick faces in adapting to the college game, where the pace and expectations are vastly different from the NFL. Vrabel’s comments, while indirect, underscore the high expectations placed on Belichick, who is considered one of the greatest coaches in NFL history. This contrast between his success in the NFL and his struggles in college football has sparked discussions among fans and analysts about the transferability of coaching skills between the two levels of the sport.