Belichick calls UNC exit rumors 'categorically false'

"'Reports about my looking for a buyout or trying to leave here is categorically false,' Belichick said. 'There's zero truth to any of that. I'm glad I'm here. We're working toward our goals. We believe very much in the process. We need to just keep working and grinding away and that's exactly what we're doing.'"

"'It's a learning curve,' Belichick said. 'We're all in it together. But we're making a lot of progress and the process will eventually produce the results we want like they have everywhere else I've been.'"

"'There's a steeper learning curve than we all anticipated,' Cunningham said. 'The gap between expectations and performance is more severe than what we expected and that's what creates a lot of attent"

Bill Belichick denied rumors that he was seeking a buyout or attempting to leave North Carolina and affirmed his commitment to the program's process and goals. He acknowledged that there were things that could have been done better while emphasizing continued work and persistence. Belichick praised general manager Michael Lombardi's performance and noted that the timing of Lombardi's hire put the program behind other schools in talent acquisition. He described the situation as a learning curve and said progress has been made and the process will eventually yield desired results. University leaders, including the chancellor and athletics director, attended the midseason media session; athletics director Bubba Cunningham expressed support for the coach's vision while admitting frustration over the gap between expectations and on-field performance.

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