CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Bill Belichick confirmed he has banned New England Patriots scouts from accessing his North Carolina program, the latest and perhaps most personal point of tension between the six-time Super Bowl champion coach and the team he led for nearly a quarter of a century.
“It’s clear I’m not welcome there around their facility. And so they’re not welcome at ours,” Belichick said after his Tar Heels cruised past Charlotte 20-3 on Saturday night, giving him his first official win as a college coach. His words carried both finality and defiance, as he signaled that his long, complicated relationship with New England may be spilling into his new chapter in Chapel Hill.
League sources told The Athletic earlier this week that Belichick had formally blocked Patriots scouts from practices and from conversations with his coaching staff, a policy that has already drawn criticism around the NFL. Patriots scouts reportedly attempted to attend a practice in August but were turned away at the gate. Belichick has since offered only narrow “viewing windows” for scouts from other NFL teams, creating frustration among evaluators eager to get a read on UNC’s future draft prospects.
“It’s petty,” one veteran scout told the outlet, pointing out that no other college coach has outright banned a single franchise from access. While Belichick is within his rights—college coaches control the terms of NFL scouting visits—his policies are raising eyebrows across the league. The fallout is particularly sharp because of his history with New England, a franchise forever tied to his name and his legacy.
Belichick’s résumé with the Patriots is legendary: 296 wins, including playoffs, from 2000 to 2023; six Super Bowl championships; and a dynasty that shaped the modern NFL. But his final years in Foxborough were marked by tension, decline, and eventually, separation. The team endured three losing seasons in his final four years, and his once-unquestioned authority as both head coach and general manager came under fire from both fans and ownership.
When Belichick and New England “mutually parted ways” in January 2024, it seemed to close the door quietly on an era. But months later, Patriots owner Robert Kraft openly called it a firing, and a 10-part Apple TV documentary revisiting the dynasty cast Belichick in a colder, less flattering light. In the eyes of many, the rift has only deepened since.
Kraft, perhaps in an attempt to soften the animosity, told Boston’s WBZ this week that the Patriots still plan to honor Belichick someday with a statue outside Gillette Stadium, next to Tom Brady’s. “When Bill’s career is over, he’ll be celebrated the way he should be,” Kraft said. But for now, Belichick’s actions suggest he is not ready to embrace any symbolic olive branch from his old employer.
At UNC, the 72-year-old coach has already signaled that he relishes the freedom of college football. “There’s no owner, there’s no owner’s son,” Belichick told The Boston Globe last month. “It’s about the players, the staff, and building something together.” His comments were interpreted by many as a direct jab at Kraft and the front-office dynamics that soured his Patriots exit.
By barring New England scouts, Belichick seems determined to draw a hard boundary between his past and his present. Whether the decision truly hurts the Patriots’ ability to evaluate Tar Heel players remains to be seen, but the symbolism is hard to miss. For Belichick, UNC is a fresh start—and New England, in his eyes, is no longer entitled to a front-row seat.
The move has left fans divided. Some Tar Heel supporters admire Belichick’s no-nonsense stance and see it as a way to protect his program’s culture. Others, including Patriots fans still loyal to their former coach, view it as an unnecessary escalation in an already strained relationship. On social media, reactions ranged from amusement to disappointment, with one fan writing, “Belichick’s grudge is alive and well.”
For now, Belichick’s focus is on Chapel Hill, where his Tar Heels are 1-0 and looking to make noise in the ACC. But the shadow of Foxborough still looms over his every decision. If his first win was a statement of intent, his ban on Patriots scouts may be his boldest declaration yet: Bill Belichick is moving forward, but he hasn’t forgotten where he came from—or how it ended.
