In the years leading up to Tom Brady's departure from the Patriots, there was considerable discussion about how the team would fare in his absence, especially since it seemed he was nearing the end of his career, mainly due to age rather than performance. The same could be said about Bill Belichick, as many knew the fate of the New England team would likely be a dumpster fire with both future Hall of Famers out of Foxboro.
There was hope from fans that they would properly prepare those who would be taking over for them, which we saw Belichick did not do at quarterback, and Robert Kraft's decision to fire the head coach and replace him with the inexperienced Jerod Mayo proved he hadn't done that adequately, either.
It prompted a heavy debate about whether the owner made the right decision to move on from the 8-time Super Bowl-winning coach, as Mayo led the Patriots to another 4-13 season and was let go after just one year. Despite Belichick's fall from grace, he still had an impeccable resume, making it seem like a mistake to move on from him without giving him the chance to work through a proper rebuild.
However, based on his UNC debut on Monday night, it looks more and more like Kraft was vindicated beyond anyone's expectations.
Bill Belichick's brutal college debut proves Robert Kraft made the right decision
It was a long-awaited debut for Belichick in his first season as a college head coach, a move not many expected to be his next venture after decades in the NFL. It has been a chaotic offseason since he arrived in North Carolina, with most of the drama surrounding his relationship with Jordon Hudson.
But now he has a new unfavorable situation to deal with, as the Tar Heels were absolutely embarrassed in their season opener against TCU, losing 48-14 in what is now the worst loss of Belichick's entire coaching career.
Bill Belichick had a rough welcome to college football pic.twitter.com/pBubwFY2tJ
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) September 2, 2025
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This had analysts and fans immediately discussing Belichick's career and revived the longtime debate about who was more responsible for the Patriots dynasty: Belichick or Brady.
Although this instance doesn't feel warranted to have that discussion, as it was Belichick's first game as UNC's head coach, it does bring up Kraft's decision to move on from the legendary figure after two decades in New England.
Many expressed their disagreement over the move, given his resume, and stripping him of the chance to draft a much better quarterback than Drake Maye. Seeing a better rebuild through with Belichick under the helm is something some analysts and fans wanted to see, but it appears that Kraft knew the inevitable was coming, and perhaps that is that Belichick is no longer the same coach he once was.
Time will tell, and there are plenty of games left to be played for him to redeem himself and prove he can turn things around in Chapel. But early signs indicate Kraft moved on from Belichick at the right time, and hopefully, Vrabel will prove to be the right guy to lead the Patriots back to relevance.