Bill Belichick acknowledges ban on Patriots scouts at UNC facilities: 'They're not welcome at ours'

The first-year Tar Heels coach explains his reasoning for nixing New England personnel from being around his program

Bill Belichick keeps receipts. The legendary NFL coach confirmed following his first win at North Carolina that scouts from the New England Patriots do not have access to his football program.

"It's clear I'm not welcome there at their facility. So they're not welcome at ours," Belichick said succinctly after the Tar Heels' beat Charlotte, 20-3.

Following this week reports by ESPN's Kalyn Kaher and 3&Out's John Middlekauff that were later confirmed by CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz, disdain towards the Patriots' organization after his acrimonious departure more than a year ago seemingly hasn't lessened since taking the job in Chapel Hill.

Per Kaher, scouts from other teams are limited to watching just three sessions of UNC practice, rather than the full practice period, and are not allowed to speak with coaches or staffers.

Belichick, 73, took a year off from coaching after he and the Patriots parted ways following the 2022 season. While many expected that he would get back into coaching, few expected him to become a college coach, which is what happened when he accepted the job at North Carolina last December. 

His Tar Heels' coaching debut was a disappointing 48-14 loss to TCU, but Saturday night's win was an important one for the first-year coach and staff.

Since his firing from the Patriots, Belichick and owner Robert Kraft have fired barbs back and forth. When asked at Fanatics Fest in New York this summer to describe the best move he has made in his 30 years of owning the Patriots, Kraft quickly identified the time in 1999 when he traded a first-round pick for the right to hire Belichick from the New York Jets. 

Belichick later said the "big risk" was actually taking Kraft up on his offer.

"As I told Robert multiple times through the years, I took a big risk by taking the New England Patriots head coaching job," Belichick told ESPN. "I already had an opportunity to be the Head Coach of the New York Jets, but the ownership situation was unstable."  

While the pair's relationship is no longer cozy, Kraft did say he plans to build a statue recognizing Belichick in New England.