The Bill Belichick college football coaching experience has begun.
Quite what convinced a six-time Super Bowl champion to take on the job of the North Carolina Tar Heels just 12 months after departing the New England Patriots remains a bit of a mystery.
But on Wednesday, he stood behind a microphone in Chapel Hill, wearing Tar Heels colors, to discuss the beginning of spring practice.
Members of the media were also allowed to observe 15 minutes of the early on-field sessions, and one of Belichick’s longstanding traditions caught the eye of some reporters.
The practice jerseys Tar Heels players were wearing didn’t have either names or numbers on the back of them.
Speaking in his press conference following the session, Belichick explained why.
“The numbers and clothes you wear is not as important as doing your job and being a good teammate,” he said.
“We did that in New England… I don’t think that is important this time of year.”
The Patriots did something similar for some of his time in Foxborough.
According to Sports Illustrated, Belichick would have his NFL players wearing numberless jerseys during mini-camp, and rookies were sometimes not even assigned their digits until the first preseason game.
However, in 2016, the NFL instituted a rule that prohibited him – and other teams – from wearing blank jerseys.
During his press conference, the 72-year-old coach was also asked how he’s ‘gone about explaining’ the no-number approach to his players.
“It hasn’t been a lot of explanation,” he responded.
“That’s just what we do. We go out there and we earn it.
“So the numbers and the names and all, that’s not as important as doing your job and being responsible and accountable to your teammates and being a good teammate.
“And so it’s not all about individual notoriety right now. I don’t think that’s important at this time of year.
“I think it’s more important to just go out there and practice well and improve every day.”
With 333 NFL wins and a record six Super Bowl rings under his belt, there’s no doubt that Belichick will shake up college football next season.
By running an ‘NFL Lite’ program, UNC is expected to have a huge recruiting advantage for as long as the legendary coach sticks around, and he will almost certainly be best placed to prepare his players for life in the pro league.
The Tar Heels begin their first season under Belichick against the TCU Horned Frogs at UNC’s Kenan Stadium on September 1.
They will get the full Monday Night Football treatment, with the game kicking off at 7:30pm eastern time and airing on ESPN.
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