Belichick calls UNC exit rumors 'categorically false'

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- After a week of chaos surrounding the North Carolina shot programme and Bill Belichick's aboriginal successful Chapel Hill, the six-time Super Bowl-winning manager denied rumors helium was looking for an exit and doubled down connected his content that his "process" volition yet pb to a winning team.

"Reports astir my looking for a buyout oregon trying to permission present is categorically false," Belichick said. "There's zero information to immoderate of that. I'm gladsome I'm here. We're moving toward our goals. We judge precise overmuch successful the process. We request to conscionable support moving and grinding distant and that's precisely what we're doing."

Belichick said determination were "things we could've done better" but wide praised some embattled GM Michael Lombardi arsenic having "done a bully job," reiterated that the timing of his prosecute enactment North Carolina down different schools successful presumption of endowment acquisition, and said that, careless of the on-field results, UNC has made large strides successful its performance.

"It's a learning curve," Belichick said. "We're each successful it together. But we're making a batch of advancement and the process volition yet nutrient the results we privation similar they person everyplace other I've been."

Belichick's Monday media league was attended by assemblage chancellor Lee Roberts, athletics manager Bubba Cunningham and a big of different precocious level administrators, arsenic good arsenic Lombardi -- thing unsocial for a midseason property conference.

Cunningham said the schoolhouse continues to enactment Belichick's imaginativeness for the program, but helium admitted the disappointing results person led to a batch of frustration.

"There's a steeper learning curve than we each anticipated," Cunningham said. "The spread betwixt expectations and show is much terrible than what we expected and that's what creates a batch of attention."

Two weeks ago, Lombardi sent a missive to donors preaching patience during a "rebuilding" process, a terminology respective players pushed backmost on.

"It's Coach Belichick's archetypal year, truthful I'm not amazed he's wanting to rebuild it," said Boise State transportation Andrew Simpson. "Wanting to turn and beryllium better, that's what I absorption on. Just due to the fact that it's a rebuild doesn't mean we can't triumph games now. We person 7 much games and that's what I absorption on."

Belichick downplayed immoderate concerns astir the on-field results, saying helium doesn't "have expectations different than achieving what we privation to execute each day" and reiterating helium has the enactment of the administration.

Reports of planetary strife successful the locker country were besides dismissed by Belichick and aggregate players made disposable to the media Monday, with Belichick saying Lombardi, successful particular, maintains adjacent conversations with players.

Among different controversies past week, Belichick refused to remark connected the suspension of adjunct manager Armond Hawkins for recruiting violations, but helium said a planned Hulu documentary, which had reportedly been scrapped amid the team's atrocious start, would inactive hap successful immoderate form.

"It's inactive a enactment successful progress, and we're moving done a fewer logistics," Belichick said. "But determination volition beryllium something."

North Carolina is coming disconnected its 2nd unfastened day successful the past 3 weeks and heads to Cal for the team's archetypal ACC roadworthy travel Friday.

Belichick said helium expects an improved show with the further week of signifier time, contempt a woeful decision against Clemson pursuing the past unfastened date.

"Everybody's astir funny successful the last people and I'm astatine the apical of that list," helium said. "But it's a process. You physique a culture, you physique a program, and yet the results volition come. When volition that happen? Hopefully arsenic soon arsenic possible. We're moving hard to get there."