Legendary NFL coach Bill Belichick could soon be a major draw for ESPN’s college football coverage, potentially rivaling the viewership pull of Deion Sanders.
At least that’s what executives at the network are hoping.
According to a recent report from Front Office Sports, executives at the ‘Mothership’ believe Belichick’s name recognition and football expertise could attract massive audiences, much like Sanders has done with his charismatic presence at Colorado.
“We have to wait and see. The potential is there,” ESPN senior director of programming and acquisitions Kurt Dargis informed the outlet.
“There’s definitely interest in him outside the typical college football fan,” he added. “Deion was such a phenomenon. I still can’t believe some of the numbers we got that first year he was there.”
Dargis went on to warn that it’s simply “too early” to assess whether Belichick and the drama surrounding his 24-year-old former cheerleader girlfriend will have a similar impact.
Bill Belichick Might Be Just as Polarizing as Deion Sanders
Bill Belichick, who parted ways with the Patriots after a storied career that included six Super Bowl victories, is set to begin a new chapter with the North Carolina Tar Heels on September 1st.
Fans were certainly excited initially, after a mic’d-up video of the ‘Hoodie’ during a team practice amplified his status as one of the sport’s greatest minds.
The video, posted to TikTok, shows Belichick smartly instructing players to wear pads on their hands to prevent the temptation to commit a hold, explaining how the offense moves the ball and, by extension, shuts down the defense, and delivering some pretty solid one-liners.
“We gotta get the gloves on these guys,” Belichick tells an assistant, “there’s holding on every play!”
“Usually twice,” he added.
@accnetwork (via @Carolina Football) #collegefootball #tarheels #northcarolina ♬ original sound – ACCNetwork
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Girlfriend Problems
The optimism and the nostalgia of having the 73-year-old on the sidelines once again were there. This is, after all, a man who has eight rings in total and is known for defensive genius and the ability to adapt to any game plan, taking over a 6-7 team.
The excitement, though, fizzled quickly in large part due to the looming presence of his girlfriend, Jordon Hudson.
UNC took significant backlash from donors, alumni, and faculty over the hiring of Belichick as head football coach, primarily due to that relationship.
“What a total embarrassment to UNC. I am withdrawing all my donations and future donations,” one individual wrote.
“When you agreed to pay a king’s ransom to hire Bill Belichick, did you also know that you [were] hiring Jordon Hudson to serve as the primary face of UNC athletics?” another asked. “She’s already an embarrassment, and it’s only going to get worse. Please end this circus before the season begins.”
The season will soon begin, and there are no signs that North Carolina is veering away from the circus. ESPN is hoping upon hope that, like Deion Sanders, Belichick will be an endless source of drama.
Their networks will air eight of the Tar Heels’ games this season, with a potential for 10 total. Last year, they didn’t appear on ESPN’s flagship channel at all.
