Bill Belichick to stay course as UNC flounders again - ESPN

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The stands at Kenan Stadium were nearly empty long before halftime, and the fervor that surrounded the hiring of Bill Belichick at North Carolina has, in the span of just five games, devolved into exasperation and frustration after the Tar Heels looked awful yet again in a 38-10 loss to Clemson.

UNC trailed 28-3 after the first quarter, giving up 14 points on Clemson's first four plays. The Heels are now 0-3 against Power 4 teams, having been outscored by a combined total of 120-33.

Despite the struggles, Belichick shrugged off a need for structural changes so soon into his tenure.

«The main thing we need to do is to keep doing what we're doing but do them better,» Belichick said. «Fundamentally we're not doing the wrong things, we're just not doing them well enough.»

Belichick chalked up Saturday's defeat to self-inflicted wounds at «two or three critical times» and noted that execution and coaching are to blame.

«It's a lack of concentration,» he said, «and part of that is coaching, too, so I'll take my share of the responsibility.»

Saturday's implosion comes just days after a letter from GM Mike Lombardi to donors was released publicly, in which Lombardi calls this a «rebuilding» campaign for the Tar Heels and explains in detail about a dearth of talent on this year's team due to exits from past recruiting classes.

After the loss to Clemson, Belichick downplayed the branding of a rebuild, but when asked directly what he's telling recruits about the status of the program, he appeared to acknowledge a long-term approach.

«We're honest with them, honest that we're building, and if you want to be a part of a program that's being built, then we're here for you,» Belichick said.

That's not the notion