USA TODAY National
When North Carolina decided to hire Bill Belichick as its head football coach, the move was met with plenty of skepticism given Belichick's age and lack of college head-coaching experience.
But UNC wanted to make a splash with a big name, and the Super Bowl-winning coach did draw the interest of Hulu for a behind-the-scenes docuseries about Belichick's first college season. And if the show truly had editorial independence, fans would have been in for a wild ride.
Yet, that clearly wasn't the case as Hulu reportedly scrapped the project just five games into the season with the Tar Heels at 2-3.
According to a report from On3, the season-long documentary is no longer happening. And this move comes after reports of dysfunction and preferential treatment within the program. Quotes like this showed a divided locker room in Chapel Hill, via WRAL News:
"He has not talked or had a conversation with most of the guys on defense," a source said. "They don't even have his number."
The experience level and perceived nepotism with Bill Belichick's staff have been frequently called into question in the media. Internally, it is being questioned by players and parents too.
"The lack of experience the coaches have, it's ridiculous," a source said.
That's the exact kind of thing that would have made for compelling television. If Belichick's program is a disaster, Hulu should have kept the cameras rolling or at least released the existing footage.
Instead, the streaming giant all but confirmed the entire project was a PR play that went wrong and was never going to be an honest behind-the-scenes look at Belichick's UNC program.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Hulu agreed to scrap UNC documentary amid reports of Bill Belichick dysfunction
Reporting by Andrew Joseph, For The Win / For The Win
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