North Carolina hired Bill Belichick, the storied former New England Patriots coach, two years ago hoping to replicate the transformative buzz Deion Sanders brought to Colorado, alongside on-field success. University administrators saw the hire as a way to boost season ticket sales and elevate the Tar Heels' profile as they entered a new era of college football in Chapel Hill.

Instead of the hoped-for turnaround, the move has produced disappointing results and considerable off-field controversy, with little to inspire confidence among fans or the athletic department. The appointment followed the dismissal of previous coach Mack Brown, but the anticipated "Belichick effect" has so far failed to materialise in the way UNC envisaged.