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Any way you look at it, the first year of the Bill Belichick Era at the University of North Carolina was nothing short of a disaster.
Not only did go just 4-8 in his first season in Chapel Hill and 2-6 in the ACC, but he also embarrassed the program on several occasions, either via his 24-year-old girlfriend Jordon Hudson or with his own personal behavior in light of a disastrous season.
One way or another, someone was always going to have to face the music for the Belichick nightmare, and it was never going to be the coach himself or his girlfriend.
North Carolina Board Member Resigns After Pushing For Bill Belichick Hire
On Wednesday, former chairman of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Board of Trustees John Preyer announced that he was stepping down from his role on the board.
Preyer was one of the driving forces behind Belichick getting hired in the first place at UNC. He first joined the board in 2019 and his stint as its chairman ended last year, though he remained on as a member of the board.
“I find it hard to believe that a great teacher of football is not going to succeed at the college level,” Preyer told local news station WRAL in a documentary about hiring Belichick. “If I’m wrong, I mean, what the hell? If I’m wrong, screw you all. I mean, I tried.”
Now, time will tell whether or not Belichick does succeed at the college level. The Tar Heels and their administration seem committed to giving him multiple years to turn things around.
But things could not possibly have gotten off to a worse start, and North Carolina’s quarterback situation still looks uncertain heading into the 2026 season.
Somebody was always going to have to pay for the sins of Belichick’s brutal first year, and it turns out Preyer was that somebody.