Bill Belichick will make his debut as the head football coach at North Carolina on Monday night, and the reported guest list for the game is a good illustration of the hype that has surrounded it.
North Carolina is hosting TCU on Monday night at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C. The game will be Belichick’s first ever as a head coach of a college team, and there will be more than a few important people in attendance.
According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Michael Jordan is planning to be at Kenan Stadium to watch his alma mater play. Other famous alumni including Lawrence Taylor, Julius Peppers and Mia Hamm are also expected to attend. They will be joined by country singer Eric Church and likely many more.
Attendees expected tonight for Bill Belichick's UNC debut against TCU, per ESPN sources, include Michael Jordan, Mia Hamm, Lawrence Taylor, Julius Peppers, Eric Church, Chase Rice and Blake Snell. Hard to quantify the buzz here in Chapel Hill. pic.twitter.com/S5Ot6O4BZt
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 1, 2025
Belichick coached in the NFL for 50 years, which is why most were stunned when he took the job at UNC. He won six Super Bowls as the head coach of the New England Patriots and two more as an assistant with the New York Giants. Taylor, who played at North Carolina, was the anchor of Belichick’s defenses with the Giants, and Belichick has always said he views L.T. as the greatest defensive player of all time.
There will be plenty of pressure on the 73-year-old Belichick to win right away with the Tar Heels. If the team were to struggle, people would undoubtedly point the influence of Belichick’s 24-year-old girlfriend, who has made headlines on numerous occasions this offseason.
Belichick’s Super Bowl experience should make him feel right at home during his UNC debut, but he will still be facing a different kind of pressure. It will be interesting to see how he handles that.
