Bill Belichick Pinpoints the One Characteristic He Wants in His North Carolina Players

The Tar Heels head coach wants ball lovers.

Belichick joined ESPN's College GameDay and described what he's looking for in his players. / Screenshot via ESPN.

As Bill Belichick finishes up his first full week as the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels, he's already landed some top players both in high school recruiting and through the transfer portal.

In his second annual appearance on ESPN's College GameDay ahead of Friday's CFP matchup between Indiana and Notre Dame, the 72-year-old was asked what he's looking for in the players he'll build a culture with in Chapel Hill. He gave a simple answer.

"No. 1, on the football side, they need to love football," Belichick explained. "If you like football, if you wanna be your best, if you wanna train professionally, fundamentals and techniques that are used professionally, get the most out of your ability, and be with good teammates and other people that love football, then this is a great place to be."

Bill Belichick on what kind of players he's looking for at UNC: "Number 1, from the football side, they need to love football...for players that don't really love football, it's probably the wrong spot for them."

— Alex Barth (@RealAlexBarth) December 20, 2024

"For players that don't really enjoy football," he continued, "then it's probably the wrong spot for them. So you've gotta love the preparation, the training—as well as the competition. There's a lot that goes into it. When you work with people who have a common goal and you can come together on that it's actually a lot of fun to do all that and then see the results come out."

Belichick has not only landed seven transfers since stepping foot on UNC's campus, but he was able to get 2025 four-star recruit Bryce Baker to sign with the Tar Heels last Saturday.

North Carolina opens Belichick's first season on the sideline against the TCU Horned Frogs on Aug. 30.

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