Bill Belichick, UNC ban Patriots scouts from football program: reports

Bill Belichick apparently still has sour grapes over his exit from the New England Patriots.

Now the head coach of the University of North Carolina, the 73-year-old and the school have reportedly banned Patriots scouts from accessing the UNC football program.

The podcast "3 & Out" first reported the news, with ESPN later citing sources.

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UNC did not immediately respond to an email from Fox News Digital.

ESPN said football general manager Michael Lombardi and pro liaison Frantzy Jourdain informed the team it was banned last month.

Belichick was the head coach of the Patriots for 24 seasons, winning six Super Bowls. However, they missed the playoffs in each of the final three years of his tenure after Tom Brady signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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Patriots owner Robert Kraft eventually admitted it was his decision to move on from Belichick, but he said earlier this week that he plans to give Belichick a statue "right next to" Brady's.

"When that great 20-year era ended, it was always my intention to commission a statue for both Tommy and Bill when their respective careers were over, playing and coaching. When Bill's coaching career ends, we look forward to sitting down with him and having a statue made to be right next to Tommy," Kraft told CBS News.

Belichick, Brady and Kraft all attended Brady's Patriots Hall of Fame induction ceremony last year.

Belichick and the Patriots parted ways after the 2023 season, which marked the third consecutive year New England missed the playoffs. Jerod Mayo replaced him in 2024, but he was let go for Mike Vrabel after just one season.

Belichick, 73, has since joined the University of North Carolina, but his Tar Heels' debut was one to forget. TCU defeated UNC 48-14. It was the most points ever given up by a Belichick-coached team.

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