![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Hardy_Will_du_2422.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Art Chansky\u2019s Sports Notebook is presented by The Casual Pint. YOUR place for delicious pub food paired with local beer. Choose among 35 rotating taps and 200+ beers in the cooler.<\/p>\n The Belichick name is more synonymous with defense.<\/p>\n The focus on next Monday night\u2019s opening game under Bill Belichick will have nothing to do with defending the distractions associated with the head coach\u2019s young girlfriend.<\/p>\n Hopefully, that has calmed down after a headline-filled summer when football was not played or practiced. But just before the ACC Kickoff media week in late July, big Brandon Faber publicly joined the Hoodie as ad hoc distractions coordinator, and it worked.<\/p>\n Belichick has his private social time and has been seen enjoying dinner in Chapel Hill restaurants, but he is clearly in full mode coaching now that the countdown to the first game has started.<\/p>\n After graduating from Wesleyan College, Belichick was an unknown coach whose football connection was through his father, a three-decade college scout, and his first NFL job was driving members of old Baltimore Colts staff around so he could be a sponge and continue to learn more football after growing up with his dad.<\/p>\n He moved up the ranks with several other NFL teams until he became the defensive coordinator for Bill Parcell\u2019s two-time Super Bowl champion New York Giants. In 24 seasons as the head coach with the Patriots, he coached the defense more than the offense.<\/p>\n In New England he drafted a sixth-round quarterback named Tom Brady who, on the field, led the Pats to six Super Bowl titles and was said to be more important to the franchise than the head coach.<\/p>\n In missing the playoffs in three of his last four seasons, the Patriots were far better on defense than offense without Brady. And his new defensive coordinator at Carolina is his oldest son Steve Belichick.<\/a><\/p>\n Bill was out of football last season and spent much of spring practice and training camp at the University of Washington, where Steve led a defense that was top 30 in Division I football.<\/p>\n And Steve will have some familiar faces when the Tar Heels take the field against TCU on Labor Day night. Defensive back Thaddeus Dixon and linebacker Khmori House followed THEIR coach Belichick to Chapel Hill, and that\u2019s a good start.<\/p>\n The Horned Frogs are big and tough and slippery to handle with a bevy of receivers who helped TCU pass for more than 4,000 yards in 2024 and have lost only leading receiver Jack Bech, who is now with the Raiders. Returning quarterback Josh Hoover completed 67 percent of his throws for just under 4,000 yards and 27 touchdowns.<\/p>\n Carolina is not exactly loaded with returning offensive skill players and will probably start Gio Lopez, a 6-foot transfer QB from South Alabama. So it is unlikely that the Heels can win a shootout and will rely on Steve B\u2019s defense to stop a Frogs offense that put up 32.5 points a game on 5,549 yards and 55 TDs.<\/p>\n TCU went 9-4 last season and finished second in the Big 12.<\/p>\n https:\/\/chapelboroaudio.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/2025\/08%20-%20August\/25\/Art%27s%20Notebook%20082525%20-%20FINAL.mp3<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications\/Jeffrey A. Camarati<\/p>\n Chapelboro.com<\/a>\u00a0does not charge subscription fees, and you can\u00a0directly support our efforts in local journalism\u00a0here<\/a>. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by\u00a0signing up for our newsletter.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Related Stories<\/p>\n \u2039<\/p>\n Danny Talbott, a two-sport athlete at the University of North Carolina and member of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, has died after a long battle with cancer. He was 75. Media outlets report that Talbott died Sunday morning at his home in Rocky Mount. Talbott played varsity baseball and football for the Tar [\u2026]<\/p>\n <\/a> A bill that would allow alcohol to be sold at athletics events on campuses across the UNC System is awaiting the governor\u2019s signature to become law. And UNC \u2013 Chapel Hill officials appear eager to see its approval. The North Carolina House overwhelmingly voted this week to approve the Senate version of the bill. Advocates [\u2026]<\/p>\n <\/a> UNC hosts its Basketball Analytics summit this weekend.<\/p>\n <\/a> A Mecklenburg County judge has dismissed a lawsuit in which two former University of North Carolina athletes alleged the school failed to provide them and other athletes a quality education by directing them toward sham classes. Superior Court Judge Richard Ervin cited arguments by attorneys representing UNC that said both the statute of limitations and [\u2026]<\/p>\n <\/a> Nine UNC administrators were given raises by the university Board of Trustees during the meeting on Thursday. Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham received the biggest raise to $642,268, a $58,388 bump \u2013 which is a 10 percent increase over his previous salary. The raises were part of the consent agenda at the full board meeting after [\u2026]<\/p>\n <\/a> Another lawsuit has been filed alleging UNC did not provide a proper college education to its student athletes. A class action lawsuit was filed in Durham County on Thursday afternoon. WCHL\u2019s Blake Hodge spoke with Attorney Bob Orr who filed the suit. You can listen to that interview here.<\/p>\n <\/a> Plates were full for administrators, faculty, and students at UNC this holiday season, with commencement, final exams, and reviews from the UNC System Board of Governors. There was certainly a lot to cover on Friday, and Chancellor Folt made an effort to touch on everything in front of the Faculty Council. She encouraged as many [\u2026]<\/p>\n <\/a> UNC Chancellor Carol Folt says the big decisions about athletics that ultimately affect the University come down to the chancellor.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Casual-Pint-updated-728.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nArt Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers\u00a0\u201cGame Changers,\u201d \u201cBlue Bloods,\u201d and \u201cThe Dean\u2019s List.\u201d He has contributed to WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His\u00a0\u201cSports Notebook\u201d commentary airs daily on the 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his \u201cArt\u2019s Angle\u201d opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.<\/p>\nFormer UNC Athlete Talbott Dead of Cancer at 75<\/p>\nUNC – Chapel Hill Monitoring Bill that would Allow Alcohol Sales at Athletics Events<\/p>\n