After decades of coaching and winning in the NFL, Bill Belichick will tackle the challenge of rebuilding the North Carolina football program.

Retired tight end Rob Gronkowski won three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots under Belichick in the 2014, 2016, and 2018 seasons, giving him a front-row seat to the legendary coach’s style. Gronkowski believes Belichick will have a sense of enjoyment in college that he lacked at the professional level.

“Coach Belichick loves coaching players. And at that level, players are more raw because they haven’t been coached through the college ranks, they’re coming out of high school,” Gronkowski said, per Sports Illustrated’s Patrick Andres. “They’re younger, so Coach Belichick can have a field day coaching these guys because there’s so much more to coach — because they’re younger and they haven’t been through the whole car wash yet to develop as a complete player. He’s going to enjoy that process.”

Gronkowski has no doubt Belichick can be as successful at the college level as he was in the NFL.

“It’s a lot more thrilling as well for college football programs, because Coach Belichick, he’s bringing a whole different perspective to the college ranks,” Gronkowski added. “It’s going to be a lot of fun to watch and see if he has success or not, and I’m pretty sure he will.”

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Only time will tell if Belichick can lead the Tar Heels to a bowl game during his tenure, but there is certainly plenty of intrigue surrounding his first season in Chapel Hill.

Featured image via Jim Dedmon/Imagn Images