Let’s be honest: Bill Belichick is more than likely regretting signing to be the head football coach at the University of North Carolina. If we can all agree on that, there’s a list of reasons why. The rough 2-3 start to the season. The ongoing drama of Belichick’s off-the-field lifestyle with his twenty-something-year-old girlfriend. The ongoing drama stemming from a long history between Belichick and the New England Patriots organization. This would all make for one hell of a reality show.
Yesterday it was reported that the University of North Carolina is backing out of the original plan to create a docuseries on Belichick’s first season in Carolina blue. While there has been no announcement from the university itself, the headline says it all.
While Belichick on the field has not been a hit for Tar Heels nation, the cancellation of the docuseries is the largest misstep Belichick has taken yet.
Less than two months ago, I stated that if this docuseries was going to be successful, it had to revolve around Belichick, not Carolina football.
This Could Have Been a Success
Belichick remains a national figure who warrants the attention of the sports media-verse. He’s a Hall of Fame head coach with a pedigree to get the best out of afterthoughts. This was his first venture into the sport of college football, where very few former NFL head coaches have found success.
HBO Films offered to go college for Hard Knocks this year. That’s the level of demand sports fans have for everything Belichick. He’s the most successful “heel” of all time in the NFL. No one loves Bill Belichick because he refuses to allow people into his world.
That’s what Hulu and EverWonder Studios were aiming to do: reveal the man behind the curtain, the great Oz, if you will.
Carolina football this season is not attracting eyeballs. At most home games, the sellout crowd is hitting the road by halftime. It’s a forgotten tale in a season of Big Ten and SEC dominance once again.
Belichick didn’t arrive with the luster of a Deion Sanders. He didn’t have homegrown talent nor did he hype up the program during the offseason. Belichick’s success so far at UNC has little to do with football; it has everything to do with the TMZ-style attention.
Who else could take a segment on CBS Sunday Morning and turn it into a national narrative? Are the Miami Hurricanes trending on Google like Belichick or Jordon?
A Swing-And-A-Miss
Belichick is a made man, making eight digits and dating someone more than 75% of his age. In media, the adage holds true: sex sells. A high-profile head coach dating a 24-year-old ex-beauty queen draws attention far beyond the average Tar Heel football fan. HBO originally wasn’t interested in Gio Lopez’s transfer from South Alabama or Kobe Paysour’s senior year at wideout. They wanted eyeballs. HBO wanted drama. That’s what Hard Knocks was, is, and will always be—but it didn’t get it.
This is the same thing Hulu, EverWonder Studios, and college football fans wanted. Now, here we are.
Could you imagine the amount of attention an upset Belichick away from the postgame podium would garner? Which loss would have been more entertaining for viewers? Would Jordon Hudson console Belichick in his time of loss? That’s drama.
What about the moments of glory for the upstart Tar Heels as they claw their way back into the spotlight with wins over Charlotte and Richmond, two teams with a combined record of 4-7 early in the season? How does Belichick celebrate his first victory with his team, his family, his girlfriend? That’s action.
Would we get an inside look at Belichick’s decision to ban scouts from the New England Patriots at North Carolina practices? The pettiness, the emotions, the path to making that call with the university. Did the players confront Belichick on that decision? Were phone calls made to other teams to allow added access, showing favoritism? That’s mystery.
The North Carolina Tar Heels docuseries had all the makings of one of the great sports documentaries of all time. It had established characters with distinct egos. Drama, mystery, and action all emanating from a small town in northeastern North Carolina.
Back To Boring Belichick
For all the drama that Hard Knocks produces in telling short stories about end-of-roster decisions in the NFL, this Hulu series had so much more—and then some. No matter how many games Belichick wins or loses at Carolina, he still will get paid. If this docuseries had aired as scheduled, with the access it allowed and the intrigue that followed, records would have been forgotten.
The canceled docuseries was more than just a missed marketing opportunity—it was a chance to witness the collision of legend and ambition in real time. Belichick’s Carolina experiment could have shown the human side of an untouchable icon, but now we’re left with speculation and headlines. In the absence of access, the intrigue persists—but the story itself remains untold.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
