When Bill Belichick took the North Carolina job, he added the big-name legitimacy of arguably the greatest coach in the sport’s history to the Tar Heels’ program. Monday night, when he makes his debut, he will draw plenty of big names back to Chapel Hill, too. North Carolina alumni Michael Jordan, Julius Peppers, Lawrence Taylor and Mia Hamm are among several stars expected to be in attendance at Kenan Memorial Stadium tonight as Belichick’s Tar Heels host TCU, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Jordan, of course, is the biggest name expected to attend. Jordan’s on-court legend began in earnest as a freshman for the Tar Heels, when he hit a late jumper to propel North Carolina past Georgetown in the 1982 national title game. He’d go on to become an All-America selection as a sophomore and the unanimous player of the year by as a junior before being drafted second overall by the Bulls. North Carolina has an apparel partnership with the Jordan brand as well.
Peppers famously played both basketball and football for the Tar Heels for his first two years at the school before choosing to focus on football full-time. It quickly proved to be the right choice: Peppers was a consensus All-America selection as a junior, and after a 17-year NFL career, he entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024.
Taylor also experienced a mid-career transformation at UNC, moving from the defensive line to linebacker and winning ACC Player of the Year in 1980. His 16-sack 1980 season remains the program record. Taylor went on to have a magnificent NFL career that included three Defensive Player of the Year awards, and he entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.
At his introductory press conference, Belichick revealed he spoke to Jordan, Peppers and Taylor prior to taking the job.
“I’ve had conversations with Julius and LT, some of the greatest players that have played here,” Belichick said. “Very supportive. Talked to Michael the other day, very supportive. There’s been a ton of support from ex-players and other UNC alums. This is a great brand and great support system here. So I’m excited to just spend more time with these people and to get the support that they’ve, I won’t say promised, but that they’ve indicated to me how much they want to be a part of the program and how much I want them part of it.”
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