Finebaum Praises Belichick After UNC Upset
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Finebaum Praises Belichick After UNC Upset
- ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum admitted he was wrong about Bill Belichick's coaching ability in college football after North Carolina's 15-10 upset victory over TCU in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic on August 29, 2026.
- Finebaum had previously stated on August 25, 2026, that Belichick was "one of the worst college football coaches" he had seen and predicted he wouldn't finish the season.
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Paul Finebaum, a prominent ESPN college football analyst, has publicly reversed his critical stance on Bill Belichick’s tenure as head coach for the North Carolina Tar Heels. Following UNC’s 15-10 upset win against TCU in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland, on Saturday, August 29, 2026, Finebaum stated he and “many others were wrong” about Belichick.
Just days before the game, on August 25, 2026, Finebaum had been a vocal detractor, describing Belichick as a “grouch” and a “bully” and predicting his college career would “go down in flames.” He even suggested Belichick might not finish the 2026 season, calling him “one of the worst college football coaches in a short period of time” he had ever seen. Finebaum’s earlier criticisms also touched on perceived “mass chaos” within the program and a belief that Belichick’s move to college was an attempt to prove himself after his NFL departure.
The Tar Heels’ victory, a defensive struggle where they held TCU scoreless for the final 49 minutes, seemingly shifted Finebaum’s perspective. North Carolina’s defense, for which Belichick called plays, limited TCU to 281 total yards. This win, achieved as considerable underdogs, has led Finebaum to suggest that Belichick “still has it” and that the team now has an opportunity to reach a bowl game, which he would consider a “significant accomplishment.” The game marked Belichick’s second season opener with the Tar Heels, following a 4-8 record in his debut 2025 season that began with a 48-14 loss to TCU.