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New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel seemed to inadvertently throw shade at Bill Belichick after the NFL legend flopped in his debut with North Carolina earlier this week.
Vrabel, a former player under Belichick and one of his successors in New England, was asked during an appearance on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” about the coach’s debut in Chapel Hill that ended in a blowout loss to TCU on Monday night.
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel looks on during the first half against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on Aug. 21, 2025. (Vincent Carchietta/ Imagn Images)
Hill attempted to give Belichick some grace, asking Vrabel, “It takes a while, don’t you think, to get a program going?” But Vrabel was blunt in his assessment.
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“I don’t know, Urban Meyer won 12 of his first 12 games at Ohio State, so it didn’t take him long,” Vrabel said. “That’s my experience in college football.”
After a storied NFL career that included three Super Bowl wins, Vrabel returned to Ohio State as a linebackers coach in 2011. He stayed on another two seasons as a defensive line coach and worked under Meyer during the 2012 season, when the Buckeyes went undefeated. Because of NCAA sanctions, the team did not make a postseason appearance.
Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer celebrates with the trophy after defeating the Washington Huskies in the 2019 Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 2019. (Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports)
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However, Vrabel went on to qualify his remarks Tuesday, noting that the “landscape” is likely much different from when he coached in college.
“I can only imagine the landscape of college football now … I’m sure it’s probably not as easy outside of the top few programs.”
Head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels looks on from the sideline during the first half of the game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Kenan Stadium on Sept. 1, 2025 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
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UNC lost 48-14 in a game that saw the Horned Frogs put up 41 unanswered points. The Tar Heels finished with just 222 total yards – 320 fewer than their opponent.
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