Indiana made history by winning the Big Ten Championship against Ohio State. For head coach Curt Cignetti, the victory marks major success in just his second year leading the program, and he has achieved it at a school traditionally known for basketball. That kind of turnaround inevitably raises expectations for other coaches in similar situations, including UNC’s Bill Belichick.

After an accomplished NFL career, Belichick shifted to the college ranks by joining the North Carolina Tar Heels. Like Indiana, UNC is traditionally a basketball-first program, but Belichick has yet to replicate his professional success in the ACC, finishing 14th in the conference. With Curt Cignetti delivering immediate results at Indiana, analyst Shannon Sharpe believes the comparison puts added pressure on Belichick.

“And I’m sure now people are looking like, Hey, Coach Belichick, you’re at a basketball school. What you got? You see what Coach Cignetti did with IU?” Sharpe said on the December 6 episode of his show. “That’s gonna be their expectations.”

In just two seasons, Curt Cignetti has compiled a 24-2 record, finishing this year at 13-0 and delivering Indiana its first Big Ten championship since 1967. The Hoosiers enter the postseason as the highest-seeded team in the playoff field and one of the favorites to win the national title. Meanwhile, Bill Belichick sits at 4-8 with North Carolina, a step back from last season’s results.

The pressure on Belichick stems from two major factors. First, he is an eight-time Super Bowl champion and the former head coach of one of the NFL’s most dominant dynasties, which sets the bar for expectations extremely high. Second, Cignetti is not the only coach finding quick success at a basketball-first school. UNC’s archrival, Duke’s Manny Diaz, has also found success in his first two seasons, leading the Blue Devils to an ACC Championship.

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Moreover, it’s one thing to have poor results on the field. Under Belichick, UNC is always in the news for the wrong reasons. Some of it concerns the relationship of their head coach. Just a week ago, Jordon Hudson was again arguing with Pablo Torre. For now, the Tar Heels head coach is expected to stay with the program, but the news continues to get worse.

Bill Belichick hit with a transfer portal news

The debut season for Bill Belichick did not go as expected. And to make things worse, he is on the verge of losing a star player to the transfer portal. NFL and college football reporter Matt Zenitz revealed in a post on X about linebacker Khmori House’s future.

“North Carolina standout linebacker Khmori House is entering the transfer portal,” Matt Zenitz reported on X.

House has been one of the best performers for UNC. Playing as a linebacker, House has racked up 78 combined tackles and an interception, along with 2.5 sacks on loss during his UNC career. He also leads the defense with the highest tackles. With his exit, Belichick is put in an uncomfortable spot.

Belichick “poached” House from the Washington Huskies, but after just one season, he now stands to lose the standout player. The situation has unfolded far differently from what UNC fans expected when Belichick first arrived. He replaced Mack Brown, who across 16 seasons in two separate tenures led the Tar Heels to six bowl appearances. However, after five consecutive losses, UNC dismissed Brown in November 2024 and brought in Belichick.