‘Start Winning or Get Out’: Dave Portnoy’s Message to Bill Belichick at UNC

Bill Belichick’s North Carolina debut has Urban Meyer and Dave Portnoy feeling queasy about his coaching future. 

Following UNC’s 48-14 loss to TCU on Monday, Meyer said it might not take long to say that the program made a mistake in hiring the 73-year-old Belichick.

“In three weeks, they play Central Florida. If they lose that game, it’s not an overreaction,” Meyer said on Saturday’s “Big Noon Kickoff.” “There’s a problem at North Carolina. Here’s a question I have that I don’t have the answer to: You have 70 new players, 30 freshmen, 40 transfers. As a coach of almost 40 years, you walk in front of the team, you don’t know them. These aren’t grown ass men. These are 17, 18, 19-year-old kids. 

“Is it time to overreact? No. But in three weeks, it could be a big yes.”

After an offseason of hype (and some off-field drama), Monday’s game was arguably the worst of Belichick’s head coaching career. The 48 points North Carolina allowed were more than he allowed in any game in his 29 seasons as an NFL head coach. The 34-point defeat would’ve been tied for the second-largest defeat of his NFL head coaching career. 

With things looking bleak right away in Chapel Hill, Meyer isn’t sure if it’d be a good call to give Belichick more than one season to try and figure things out with the Tar Heels. 

“I don’t know,” Meyer said when asked if he’d give Belichick more time, regardless of how this season goes. “Seventy new players. People ask me that question. I don’t know. I have no idea how to do it.”

Portnoy, a lifelong New England Patriots fan, is willing to take it a step further. If UNC doesn’t start winning soon, Portnoy wants Belichick to step down as the Tar Heels’ head coach. 

“I hate to do this because I’m a positive guy,” Portnoy said. “I grew up with Bill Belichick. I have six rings in my closet because of him. To see what is happening at UNC, TCU players making fun of his Instagram like he’s going fishing with his girlfriend, ‘Heir Jordan.’ The jokes, the laughs. I’ve gotta tell ya, I sat in a dark room with a tear coming down my eye.

“I need Bill Belichick to either start winning or get out of college football, because I can’t be the butt of the joke. He’s like my grandfather, and it’s sad to see.” 

Belichick and UNC have an easier schedule ahead over the next couple of weeks. The Tar Heels’ next two games are against non-power conference opponents, facing Charlotte on Saturday before battling Richmond next week. They have the game at UCF in Week 4 before taking on Clemson in Week 5. 

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