Among the long list of significant changes the Patriots have made over the last year is Robert Kraft's decision to dismiss Bill Belichick after the 2023 season. Although it wasn't entirely shocking, given how poorly the team had performed since 2020, it was still a massive move to make with an expected negative ripple effect that would impact the organization for quite some time.
What was shocking, however, was seeing the head coach needy teams that offseason collectively pass on hiring Belichick despite the caliber of coach they would still be getting. He might not have won much over the last four years in New England, but you can't discredit a guy who brought them to nine Super Bowls in 20 years.
Building on that shock, Belichick decided to become a member of the media. He spent the 2024 season doing that and then decided to become the next head coach at the University of North Carolina, ironically Drake Maye's alma mater.
Vince Wilfork has a lot more confidence in Bill Belichick's move to UNC than some of his former teammates
Because this seemed to solidify, we won't be seeing Belichick back in the NFL any time soon, and his absent experience working in college surprised almost everyone, so he decided to make that transition. It's made people question how well he will do working with college aged kids and the different dynamic of the NCAA, garnering several different responses from current and former players.
The latest comes from two-time Super Bowl Champion Vince Wilfork, who spoke with FanSided on behalf of Kingsford ahead of Super Bowl LIX.
Read More: Impact of Bill Belichick's arrival is already being felt by UNC players
Name-dropping Nick Saban is expected since the longtime Alabama head coach is good friends with Belichick and will likely be somewhat of a mentor to the former Patriots coach in his transition to North Carolina. Wilfork mentions that Belichick helped him in the past as well, so it's only sensical that he will return the favor.
On top of that, Wilfork believes Belichick will be just fine working with younger players despite the narrative that he might find that difficult, citing his ability to teach as a big reason.
Time will tell if he's right about his former coach, but it's hard to argue against the idea that Belichick will thrive as a head coach no matter where he is. The last few years in New England might not have been pretty, yet there are far more successful years to look at that prove he is the right guy to turn the UNC team around.