Bill Belichick & UNC Will Not Participate In Offseason Hard Knocks

Last week, it was reported North Carolina Football and HC Bill Belichick would be featured on this year’s offseason Hard Knocks.

Per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, talks between the two sides fell apart and they will no longer appear on HBO’s series.

“NFL Films had discussions with Coach Belichick and UNC about appearing on Hard Knocks this offseason but couldn’t reach an agreement,” a spokesperson for NFL Media said.

NFL Films went to UNC because they could not find an NFL team to do it after the criticism the Giants received for how they handled the situation with RB Saquon Barkley.

Belichick, 72, got his start coaching in the NFL in 1975 with the then-Baltimore Colts. He had assistant jobs with the Lions and Broncos before landing with the Giants, where he eventually rose to defensive coordinator under legendary HC Bill Parcells. 

The Browns hired Belichick as head coach in 1991 and he was in the post for five years before being fired. He rejoined Parcells as an assistant with the Patriots and left to go with him to the Jets the following year.

He was slated to replace Parcells as head coach of the Jets in 2000 but infamously resigned and was hired by the Patriots, who had to give up a first-round pick to the Jets as compensation. Belichick won six Super Bowls in 24 years in New England before being let go at the end of the 2023 season. 

For his career, Belichick has a record of 302-163 over 29 seasons (.655 W/L percentage) and has eight Super Bowl rings, six of them as head coach of the Patriots. He’s a three-time winner of the AP Coach of the Year award.