Bill Belichick lands new ESPN role as North Carolina looks ahead after 4–8 season

Bill Belichick is back on television. Just weeks after finishing a difficult first college football season at the University of North Carolina, the 73-year-old coaching legend has landed a new role with ESPN.

The network confirmed that Bill Belichick will appear on the ACC Network’s broadcast of the College Football Playoff national championship game, set to be played in South Florida at Hard Rock Stadium.The game will feature the Indiana Hoosiers against the University of Miami Hurricanes and is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. ESPN announced that Belichick will be part of the on-air team, marking his return to TV while he continues working as head coach of the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill.

Bill Belichick returns to TV as ESPN adds him to national title broadcast

ESPN said Bill Belichick will be paired with former Miami and Georgia head coach Mark Richt for the ACC Network’s coverage. The move comes only weeks after North Carolina ended a rough season with a 4–8 record, missing both a bowl game and the expanded College Football Playoff.Belichick became North Carolina’s head coach in 2025, taking his first job at the college level after leaving the New England Patriots following the 2024 NFL season.

Before going to Chapel Hill, he spent months on television. He appeared on “Monday Night Football’s ManningCast” with Peyton Manning and Eli Manning and also made regular appearances on The Pat McAfee Show.

Now, Belichick is mixing both worlds. He is still leading North Carolina’s rebuild, but he is also stepping back into the media spotlight. ESPN’s announcement said the move brings “one of football’s greatest minds” back to the broadcast booth.Belichick is the only head coach in NFL history to win six Super Bowls with one team. He also won two more Super Bowls as a defensive coordinator with the New York Giants.While returning to television, Bill Belichick has stayed busy on the recruiting trail. One of his biggest recent moves was bringing in quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. to Chapel Hill. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Edwards chose North Carolina after being granted a medical redshirt, giving him one more year of college eligibility.Billy Edwards Jr., a Virginia native, transferred to Wisconsin in August 2025 after playing at Maryland. He later suffered a knee injury and missed the rest of the season. Now, he will compete with Gio Lopez for the Tar Heels’ starting job. He will also work under Belichick and new offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino, another longtime NFL coach.The addition matters for a North Carolina team that struggled badly. The Tar Heels beat only two Power Four teams, Syracuse and Stanford, during the 2025 season.Off the field, Belichick has also faced attention around his personal life, including heavy media focus on his relationship with Jordon Hudson. Despite the noise, sources around the program say Belichick has stayed locked in on recruiting and player development.North Carolina will next hold its spring game on April 12 at Kenan Stadium, where fans will get their first look at the new roster.