By Brian Murphy, WRAL

With fans calling out his name, hoping for an autograph or a photo or even a glance in their direction, North Carolina football coach Bill Belichick walked off the new Kenan Stadium grass Saturday night without missing a step.

The Tar Heels ended their spring practice schedule, the first under Belichick, with Saturday’s “Practice Like a Pro” event under the lights. The practice lived up to its meager billing, brimming with all the excitement of an NFL practice in week four.

UNC hired Belichick, a six-time Super Bowl champion as head coach of the New England Patriots, to bring sizzle to a program desperately lacking it. A $50-million gamble that Belichick would transform the Tar Heels into a football school or, at least, pay off in increased fan interest, ticket sales, sponsorship dollars and media rights.

But the coach is substance over style. And in his first few months on the job, he’s constructed a program in his image.

No numbers on the jerseys for any player throughout spring or in Saturday’s final practice.

No player interviews throughout spring or after Saturday’s final practice.

No assistant coach interviews throughout spring or after Saturday’s final practice.

Belichick spoke to the media near the beginning of spring practice … and not again. Not even at the end of Saturday’s event. Didn’t even pick up the microphone to thank everyone for coming out or tell them how important their presence this fall would be.

It may be that the Belichick way is the best way to build, or rebuild given the change over on the roster, a college football program.

It’s not, definitively, the best way to boost fan engagement. UNC is going to have to hope the well produced social media videos and the Super Bowl rings and the promise of more wins under Belichick sell the program because the $10-million per year coach isn’t in that business.

At one point, early in the two-hour practice, it appeared that Belichick was being mic’d up by his girlfriend Jordon Hudson, presumably for more in-house (and well done) audio. So we may hear from the coach at some point.

On the field, Purdue transfer Ryan Browne and freshman Bryce Baker took all the game action reps at quarterback. Returning QB Max Johnson, who is working his way back from last year’s devastating season-ending broken right leg, threw balls during drills.

The offense topped the defense 20-15 in a “red zone showdown” in the final period of practice, but the offense was limited to three field goal attempts (two made) in five drives.

After all that, it was hard to tell who Saturday’s event was for.

Certainly not for fans unable to tell who the players were even with a roster thanks to the lack of jerseys.

The muted playlist felt as if it came straight off general manager Michael Lombardi’s iPhone — heavy on Springsteen and Queen and Van Halen — which did little to pump up the players or the crowd. The players signed autographs for fans after the game, but not in any organized manner.

At least the “Practice Like a Pro” event had a sponsor, so it presumably made a few bucks. It was presented by Wegmans.

If you’re going to have an event open to the fans, make it fan friendly. Make it an event. Make it something that will juice the excitement for the season.

Or simply have a normal practice, maybe invite your former players and the media. There’s no shame in that. Plenty of programs are not having spring games. NC State isn’t opening a single minute of practice this spring.

Instead the Tar Heels landed somewhere in between. For a program trying to escape the middle, it felt like the worst place to be.

Source: wralsportsfan.com