Rob Gronkowski gives his thoughts on Bill Belchick's decision to coach North Carolina
01/10/2025 10:41 AM
New England Patriots great Rob Gronkowski thinks his former head coach, Bill Belichick, believes he’ll be “successful” at the collegiate level. The 72-year-old Belichick is now the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels after sitting out the 2024 season. It’ll be the first time the eight-time Super Bowl champion coaches at the collegiate level after spending 49 consecutive seasons coaching in the NFL.
Gronkowski played for Belichick for the first eight seasons of his career, winning three Super Bowls during his Patriots tenure. The five-time Pro Bowler says he was “surprised” by Belichick’s decision, but explains why the move makes sense.
“I was surprised by that, but it kind of makes sense because he loves coaching,” says Rob Gronkowski in a one-on-one interview on behalf of his partnership with Bounty. “He just loves to coach the game of football. It doesn’t matter at what level, as long as he’s coaching, I feel like he’s a happy guy. That’s where he belongs, he loves football that much. I think he’s going to be successful.”
The all-time great tight end says Belichick brings a lot more “suspense” to college football.
“He brings a lot more suspense to college football,” says Gronkowski of Belichick’s impact in coaching the Tar Heels. “It’s going to be a lot of fun to watch now and a lot more intriguing because it’s one of the greatest coaches of all time coaching at the college level. Now he’s got his son there as a defensive coordinator. I think he’s going to do a good job.”
Gronkowski says the big question mark is how Belichick “recruits” as he enters the collegiate coaching ranks for the first time.
“How is he going to recruit?” asks Gronkowski. “There’s no doubt he’s going to coach the game of football, but how is he going to recruit? Everyone is interested in that and only time will tell.”
There has been speculation that Belichick could make a return to the NFL, with NFL teams such as the Tom Brady-led Las Vegas Raiders gauging Belichick’s interest in returning to the league. However, Belichick has no plans of making a return to the league, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
While Belichick struggled in the post-Tom Brady era, failing to lead the Patriots to a playoff win and going a collective 29-38 (.432 winning percentage) following Brady’s departure after the 2019 season, it’s clear he doesn’t feel he has anything to prove in the NFL.
As Bill Belichick likely enters the final years of his coaching career, he’ll look towards building a winning collegiate program for the first time.
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