Year Two of 'The Bill Belichick Experiment' in Chapel Hill, North Carolina is about to begin all the way across the Atlantic Ocean.
Belichick and his North Carolina Tar Heels football team have touched down in the Emerald Isle as UNC prepares to play TCU in the first game of the season in Dublin.
The Tar Heels and the Horned Frogs will play the opening game of 2026 at the Aviva Stadium in what has become only a more recent tradition.
Belichick and his team were photographed descending an escalator at Dublin Airport shortly after their arrival in the country.
The team leaned into the occasion with their attire as Belichick wore a Carolina Football sweatshirt featuring a football in the middle with a shamrock on it.
Belichick and the Tar Heels will hope the sequel season goes far better than his debut campaign.
Bill Belichick and the North Carolina Tar Heels arrived in Dublin for the first game of the season
Belichick and UNC will play the first game of the 2026 college football season against TCU
This offseason saw turmoil as GM Michael Lombardi (L) was put on leave after an HR complaint
But things have gotten off to a rocky start behind the scenes after general manager Michael Lombardi was put on leave following a human resources complaint.
Specifics about the complaint have not been revealed as the school conducts an investigation into Lombardi.
Belichick addressed Lombardi's absence earlier this month, telling reporters that the team was 'taking it day to day and working through the things that are on the table right now.'
In his personal life, Belichick and his girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, continue to be subjects of intrigue and scrutiny - as well as jokes, including from former Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri during his Hall of Fame induction speech.
On the field, Belichick and the Tar Heels struggled throughout last season and finished with a record of 4-8.
North Carolina opened with a loss to TCU before easily handling Charlotte and Richmond. That was followed by four straight losses to put the season on its heels.
Victories over Syracuse and Stanford were followed by three straight defeats - all to in-state rivals: Wake Forest, Duke and North Carolina State.
