Finebum Rips Bill Belichick Apart

Finebum Rips Bill Belichick Apart originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Paul Finebaum always has something to say when it comes to football, especially college football. While he’s best known as the voice of the SEC, this time Finebaum weighed in on a team outside the conference.

He was asked about the North Carolina Tar Heels, a member of the ACC. The program has a new head coach, though it’s hardly a new face to football.

Legendary former NFL head coach Bill Belichick is now in Chapel Hill, and Finebaum has plenty of thoughts.

During his appearance Friday morning on ESPN’s "Get Up," Finebaum made it clear he doesn’t expect much from Belichick in his debut college season.

".@finebaum's expectations for Bill Belichick's season at UNC are 'very low,'" according to an X post from the show.

.@finebaum's expectations for Bill Belichick's season at UNC are "very low" 😯 pic.twitter.com/uM6oPVY1Ig

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) July 25, 2025

Finebaum didn’t hold back with his criticism.

"He doesn't have a very good team. However, he is in a workable league. I think he can win seven games," Finebaum said. "Maybe steal one to go eight. But ladies and gentlemen, this is not Deion Sanders coming back to college. For a couple of obvious reasons: Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter. He does not have anyone like that. ... It's not going to be must-see TV."

Finebaum followed up with even more blunt criticism of Belichick himself.

"As far as Bill Belichick, I followed his career. The end of it was a disaster. He didn't win a playoff game in his last five seasons. He had losing seasons in three of those five. It was a mess. He should have been fired earlier than he was," Finebaum added. "He's trying to impress his girlfriend, he's trying to make some money, and I don't think it's going to work."

Finebaum compared Belichick’s arrival to the attention Deion Sanders brought to the Colorado Buffaloes. While Sanders went just 4-8 in his first season, the Buffaloes bounced back with a 9-4 record thanks to big seasons from Hunter and Shedeur Sanders.

Still, writing off Belichick may be premature. With the way the transfer portal works, elite players can appear overnight. Just because Belichick didn’t leave the NFL on a high note doesn’t mean he can’t build something meaningful in Chapel Hill. For now, though, expectations around the country remain low.

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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 25, 2025, where it first appeared.