North Carolina players praise Bill Belichick, say he’s not what media portrays

North Carolina coach Bill Belichick has a reputation that precedes him. The six-time Super Bowl winning head coach has long been known as a hard-nosed, no-nonsense kind of guy. But that’s not the guy some of his players have gotten to know. Not by a long shot. [ $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage ] “Coach Belichick is not what the media makes him seem like he is,” Tar Heels receiver Jordan Shipp said on the set of ACC Football Kickoff. “Of course he’s a simple guy. He eats, breathes, sleeps football, of course. But even in some of the meetings he cracks a joke here and there. He can light up a room, even though certain people make it seem like he’s the big, mean guy. Of course when he means business there’s a time and place for everything, of course.” In other words, he earns the reputation at times. But it’s not a 100% of the time kind of deal. In fact, players have sometimes been surprised by just how down to earth Bill Belichick can be. Sure, he’s won at as high a level as any coach in the sport. He’s personable, though. “He’s a great guy. He’s a guy that I can walk into his office at anytime and just talk to him,” Shipp said. “It doesn’t have to be about football. I can just sit and just talk to him about life, whatever I’ve got going on. A lot of people doesn’t see that side of him. That side doesn’t get portrayed to the media. But everybody that’s played for him, we know the real thing about coach.” Teammate Melkart Abou Jaoude echoed those sentiments, noting he sees some of the same things. Bill Belichick’s coaching style is about getting the best out of each player. While tough love might work for some, it’s comedy that unlocks the best from others. Belichick strikes that balance. “He holds everyone to the highest standard, but he got his unique way of doing it,” Jaoude said. “Sometimes he’ll be angry at you, sometimes he’s just cracking jokes at you. He tries to bring the best out of you, whether it’s making fun of you and that just fires you up and you want to be better or whether he’s actually coaching you and telling you what you need to work on.” Then there’s the more personal side of Bill Belichick. Shipp was happy to expound on that. “Another thing that doesn’t get shown a lot is his love for family,” the receiver said. “He takes care of us. He takes care of us, and not just us, he extends it to the family. He’s talked to my younger siblings, my nieces and nephews, stuff like that. They love him. My whole family loves coach and I love him as well.”