Bill Belichick stood at the microphone in a crowded room of reporters. North Carolina's season had just ended with a lopsided loss to a fierce nearby rival to cap a four-win season.
And the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach wasn't in much of a mood to talk about it.
A little more than four minutes' worth, in fact.
«Look, the season's just ended a few minutes ago, OK?» Belichick said after the 42-19 loss at NC State on Saturday night. «So now we're going to move into the offseason. That's what we're going to do.»
UNC started the year with buzz and a national spotlight, teeming with optimism — or maybe merely hope — that the NFL icon could elevate the program into something more as a first-time college coach. By season's end, Belichick had fielded a team that had more losses by double-digit margins (five) than total wins while offering frequent helpings of unwanted off-field headlines.
The final blow came in Raleigh, where the Wolfpack and coach Dave Doeren were all too eager to stick it to the Tar Heels for a fifth straight year in front of a typically rowdy home crowd. And this one sent the 73-year-old Belichick into the offseason with a final thud, armed with none of the silver-lining assessments that had followed modest gains shown in close losses or wins against some of the ACC's worst teams.
He offered few insights, too, down to what message he gave his first college team after a season of expectations ended in ugly fashion.
«I'll keep my message to the team between me and the team,» Belichick said.
On-field struggles
The Tar Heels (4-8, 2-6) closed the season with three straight losses to instate league opponents, first at Wake Forest on Nov. 15 and then at home against Duke last weekend.
That capped a season
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