While Belichick’s move was heavily documented, one anecdote became a large talking point regarding his hiring after The Read-Optional’s Ollie Connolly reported Belichick handed the school a ‘400-page organizational bible’ during his interview process that detailed how he would run the Tar Heels’ program.
Belichick was asked to confirm that report on Thursday and shot down the report in typical Belichick fashion.
‘Don’t believe everything you read in the papers, alright?’ Belichick told reporters Thursday. ‘I have no idea where that came from. I don’t have a 400-page document. I mean, and to think I would just hand it, I mean, come on.’
The 8-time Super Bowl-winning coach spent 49 years in the NFL but now is heading to North Carolina where he’ll be the oldest head coach in college football at 72 years old. It was a surprising move, especially as Belichick appeared to nearly be hired for multiple NFL head coaching jobs last offseason after mutually departing from the New England Patriots, where he coached from 2000-23 and won six Super Bowls.
Belichick, who agreed to a five-year deal with the Tar Heels, said Thursday was a full-circle moment, as his dad, Steve Belichick, was an assistant coach at North Carolina from 1953-55.
While Belichick hopes to navigate the modern college football landscape for the first time, he won’t do so with a 400-page manifesto, which apparently does not exist.