Bill Belichick Q&A: 'Good to Be Underway'

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — North Carolina football kicked off training camp five days ago, as it continues its march toward the new season. This year serves as the debut season for coach Bill Belichick at UNC.

The Tar Heels open the new season on Sept. 1 against TCU, in a spotlight home contest on Labor Day. The 73-year-old Belichick, who collected eight total Super Bowls across his storied NFL coaching career, never has coached in the college ranks. Belichick’s hiring ushered in a massive upheaval of Carolina’s roster, with over 70 total newcomers joining from the transfer portal or as freshmen this season.

Here are the key points from Belichick’s availability with the media at the Kenan Football Center on Wednesday …

Opening Statement

“Good getting (training camp) underway, this first acclimation period is still just that getting used to pads and on field practices. It’s different than our training program, so it involves a lot more communication, play calling, adjustments, things like that. As opposed to just running, training, conditioning, like we’ve been doing up until this week. So long way to go, but good to be underway. Weather has been very cool, need some heat. Need some hopefully, training weather. Hopefully that’ll be coming soon. I’ve heard a lot about this hot North Carolina weather, still waiting to see it. But as far as players go, a lot of new faces, a lot of evaluation, just trying to figure out who can do what and how we can get our best players on the field and help them, whether they’re new here as freshmen or they’re transfers or returners, talking to them about things that are fundamentals, our calls, our adjustments, things like that that are different from what they’ve done in the past.”

With so many new faces along the defensive line, what has that competition looked like and has a depth chart started to take shape?

“Whether it’s that position or any of the positions, the depth charts are really a work in progress. Again, we’re in the acclimation period. Of course, we’re trying to evaluate, but we’re not really able to do that until full practices and tackling. … For the big guys, you know, those skills will really be evaluated much more closely once we’re actually able to do them (hitting) and also make sure that everybody knows what they’re doing.”

What did you like about D’Antre Robinson that made you want to bring him in from the portal? Is he somebody that has an opportunity to play?

“I’d say everybody has an opportunity, but he certainly would be up on that list. Played some last year at Florida. (He’s an) athlete, has good football instincts. And again, it’s just acclimating to a new system, some new terminology and adjustments, things like that. I’m sure he’ll be very competitive with that group.”

With the defensive line, is that a position that, because you’re not tackling every day, is hard to get a read on at this stage of camp?

“Yeah, the O-line and D-line. Because that’s their game. It’s contact, it’s leverage, it’s footwork and position. These guys line up this far away from each other, and it all happens pretty quickly. And without pads and without  full contact, it’s kind of hard to see exactly how that’s going to go until you get to that point again. With the receivers, defensive backs, things like that, you don’t have those kinds of collisions. Power can neutralize speed. Speed can offset power. … So much of interior offensive and defensive line play is based on pad level and leverage. And until you actually are going it’s kind of hard to tell exactly how it’s going to turn out once everything is on, then then it’s a lot easier to see. So the defensive line and the offensive line are those are hard positions to train in the off season. You train strength, you train explosion, you learn the plays you get in condition and all that. But you can’t actually do what you have to do against your opponent, in this case ourselves, until you get past the acclimation period in training camp or for the 13 practices in spring ball. You can hit bags and you can hit sleds, and you can do all those kinds of things. It’s good teaching, and it prepares you for it, but it’s not the same thing. So once we get to that point, then that’ll help us.”

Have vocal leaders emerged here in training camp?

“Yes, absolutely. Certainly some of the players who have more experience, have more confidence, whether it be from their time here at Carolina or, in some cases, with other programs, but have played a lot of college football. And so they’re confident in what they can do and what you know what things are going to be like. … The emergence usually comes from the more experienced players and the players who have the most confidence. But a lot of these guys are gaining confidence as they start to have success on the field. And so it’s a little bit of a fluid situation.”