Bill Belichick spent a year working in various media jobs before returning to coaching at UNC. That will only make him better when it comes to recruiting today’s young athletes, says new Tar Heels GM Mike Lombardi. Especially since Belichick will continue making his media appearances on ESPN’s Pat McAfee Show and The CW’s Inside the NFL.
Lombardi, a three-time Super Bowl winner, would know. He’s bounced among front-office NFL jobs, media gigs, podcasts, and books for decades. He and Belichick have been close friends and colleagues since their days with the Browns in the 1980s.
“One of the tenets of leadership is called ‘management of attention.’ How do you explain your plan? If you have media outlets to explain it, I think you can attract people who will listen to you and want to hear what you have to say,” Lombardi tells FOS. “I’ve been able to do it for the last five years. And Bill’s done it on a higher level this year, doing all the shows he’s doing. I think people are more familiar with what you want to become and who you are because of that.”
The reaction from North Carolina staffers to having “Chapel Bill” in their midst has been a mix of shock and awe, says Lombardi. Now that the shock is wearing off, it’s time to get to work.
“Nobody thought he would actually do it. But now I think they realize this is a great opportunity to work for the greatest coach of all time and learn football at the highest level. It’s been really, really positive,” he says. “It’s a tremendous school. Let’s face it: The school has great selling points to it. It’s one of the greatest public institutions in the United States, it’s one of the greatest campuses in the United States, and now they just added the greatest football coach, who’s going into the Hall of Fame the minute he stops coaching.”
Lombardi says the six-time Super Bowl–winning head coach is sincere about wanting to win championships in the ACC. He’s already calling on his former players like Lawrence Taylor to help him recruit. This week, the wily 72-year-old coach suggested McAfee bring College GameDay to Chapel Hill. That would only increase the program’s profile further.
“Bill wanted this opportunity to coach in college. He wants to run his program, he wants to lead men, and he wants to impact people’s lives,” Lombardi says. “It all came together at a prestigious university.”
