Consider North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick the pro-to-college version of Urban Meyer.
In a story published Tuesday, Andrew Jones of 247Sports reported that North Carolina has had “potential exit strategy” discussions regarding Belichick. If the Tar Heels fire him before the season ends, his disappointing, scandal-ridden tenure will be even more similar to the one Meyer had with the Jacksonville Jaguars during the 2021 season.
How do the disastrous tenures of Bill Belichick and Urban Meyer compare?
After hiring Meyer in January 2021, the Jaguars were banking on his college success translating in the NFL. He won three national championships while coaching the Florida Gators and the Ohio State Buckeyes. But like many successful college coaches, he should’ve stayed in school.
Meyer went 2-11 in 13 games before being fired after Week 14. Many players and coaches were glad to see him go.
As Jaguars HC, Meyer reportedly feuded with wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr., benched running back James Robinson for no apparent reason, kicked kicker Josh Lambo before a preseason game and called his coaching staff “losers.” There was also the viral video of a young woman suggestively dancing with Meyer at a bar in Ohio following a Week 4 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
In a list published in July 2025, CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin tabbed Meyer as the worst NFL coaching hire this century. Perhaps Belichick will one day be No. 1 on the college version of this list.
After hiring the former New England Patriots coach in December 2024, North Carolina hoped the six-time Super Bowl champion would immediately turn the Tar Heels into a national title contender. Instead, the 2-3 Tar Heels are generating headlines for an off-the-field mess.
Per Pat Welter of WRAL-TV in Raleigh, two players were in a fight in the locker room on Tuesday, and a parent has said their son no longer wants to go to the facility because it’s too “toxic.”
The program has told Welter that cornerbacks coach Armond Hawkins missed Tuesday’s practice because of “personal reasons.” However, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman previously reported he was suspended for extra benefits allegations that surfaced in a previous report by Welter.
Belichick’s relationship with girlfriend Jordon Hudson is only making matters worse. The 24-year-old’s influence over the 73-year-old coach has been under scrutiny since an awkward interview with “CBS Sunday Morning” in April.
The tenures of Meyer and Belichick aren’t the same, but they’re similar. They’re trainwrecks that tarnish the respective legacies of two coaching giants.
