Bill Belichick's debut as a college head coach was not a good one.

The North Carolina Tar Heels opened the 2025 season with a highly anticipated home matchup on Labor Day night against TCU, but after an impressive touchdown drive to begin the game, UNC couldn't do much else the rest of it as it was boatraced by the Horned Frogs in a 48-14 loss. TCU's 48 points were the most Belichick has allowed in his entire coaching career.

There are already enough negative headlines about Belichick and his team, but it seems he may have added to them with a recent decision. According to former NFL scout and host of the "3 & Out" podcast John Middlekauff, Belichick has banned New England Patriots scouts from Tar Heels practices in a move that, if true, can only be described as extraordinarily petty.

"I was told by multiple people that he has banned the New England Patriots — if you're a scout for the New England Patriots, you are not allowed at the University of North Carolina," Middlekauff said. "Which is funny, but also kind of embarrassing.

"People get fired, but to ban the New England Patriots is like an 'F-you' to Robert Kraft."

There certainly may not be much love lost between Belichick and his former employer of 24 years. Belichick is widely regarded as the greatest coach in NFL history thanks to his time in New England, where he and Tom Brady led arguably the most dominant dynasty in league history, winning six Super Bowls.

Belichick's post-Brady career was not nearly as successful, and his tenure with the Patriots ended unceremoniously with his termination following the 2023 season after back-to-back losing campaigns, including a 4-13 finish in his final season.

His frustrations toward the organization are understandable, but if Middlekauff's claim is true, it would certainly be a potential barrier with recruits if he's explicitly limiting their opportunities to perform in front of NFL scouts.

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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Former NFL scout claims Bill Belichick has banned Patriots from UNC practices

Reporting by Tyler Nettuno, College Sports Wire / College Sports Wire

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