Bill Belichick won’t appear on North Carolina’s weekly radio show after the season opener, breaking from college football tradition.
The school announced Thursday that program general manager Michael Lombardi will handle the weekly appearances instead.
Belichick will appear on the first episode Aug. 27. After that, he’s done with the regular commitment.
The show, previously called Mack Brown Live, will now be Carolina Football Live. Most college football coaches make weekly radio appearances as part of their routine fan engagement.
Weekly coach shows remain common across college football, though the format has evolved.
The Athletic’s Chris Vannini noted that live caller opportunities have disappeared at many programs.
While the coach’s weekly radio show is still common across college football, the opportunity for fans to call in and ask live questions has started to disappear over the years. Nick Saban was a rare high-profile coach who continued to take live calls until he retired in 2024.
Clemson ended live calls for coach Dabo Swinney after a 2023 incident with a caller known as “Tyler from Spartanburg.” The show now takes questions via text message.
Many schools have removed live caller segments because of losses or coaches getting upset with callers.
Some college coaches have weekly radio appearances written into their contracts as required duties.
North Carolina opens the season against TCU on Monday, Sept. 1. The Monday night slot means national attention for Belichick’s coaching debut.
The move fits Belichick’s approach of doing things his way, even in a new environment that typically expects different fan engagement.
