UNC have been tipped to rival the Colorado Buffaloes in ESPN viewership.
NFL coaching great Bill Belichick – who won six Super Bowls – is now at the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels[/caption]
He is just over one month away from making his coaching debut with the university team.
And ESPN is set to air between eight and ten of Bill Belichick’s games this season.
ESPN are hoping to see a rise in viewership, like they did with NFL legend Deion Sanders – now head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes.
“We have to wait and see. The potential is there,” Kurt Dargis, ESPN senior director of programming and acquisitions told Front Office Sports.
During Sanders’ debut year with Colorado, the Buffaloes had huge ratings.
Colorado played in either the most-watched or the second most-watched game every week through the first month of that season.
The Buffs even drew 9.3 million viewers for a 10 p.m. ET kickoff against Colorado State that season which was the most-watched game of the week.
Belichick has been out the league since his 23-year New England Patriots reign ended 18 months ago.
But PFT’s Mike Florio reckons if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers come calling, the 73-year-old may move away from collegiate level.
“Much of it depends on what the Bucs do (or don’t do) in 2025, and what the Tar Heels do (or don’t do) in 2025,” he said.
“Still, with Belichick’s buyout down to $1 million as of last Sunday, let’s not assume no one at the NFL level will want Belichick.
“The Bucs have the talent; if ownership decides that an excellent game-day coach could get them back to the top of the mountain, it’s not as nutty as it may seem.
“We’re not saying Todd Bowles shouldn’t keep the job.
“We’re just trying to stay ahead of the curve. And the curve could indeed bend in unexpected ways in Tampa.”
