Kliff Kingsbury 'will have to see him on the sideline' to believe Bill Belichick is coaching North Carolina

Bill Belichick is set to hold his introductory press conference at North Carolina at about 2 p.m. ET on Thursday, but even that isn’t likely to convince some that he is really about to make a real run at things in the college game.

Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury met with reporters on Thursday morning and expressed his doubts that Bill Belichick ever calls a play for the Tar Heels.

“I will have to see him on the sideline to believe that’s happening,” Kingsbury said, according to the Washington Post’s Nicki Jhabvala on Twitter. “We’ll see how the NFL jobs search goes and all that. I will have to see him on the sideline coaching in Chapel Hill to believe that’s happening.”

Things are shaping up to be pretty official at North Carolina, though.

As noted, Belichick will officially be introduced at a press conference on Thursday afternoon. From there, the work begins on the current roster, the transfer portal and ironing out the NIL situation.

Still, Kingsbury has his doubts.

“I don’t see my man going into any home visits or doing cocktail hours,” Kingsbury said, according to ESPN’s John Keim.

Clearly some are still having trouble wrapping their minds around one of the most successful coaches in NFL history stepping into the college ranks after decades in the pros. Still, it’s a little surprising to see Kingsbury quite so assertive about it.

Could Belichick get an NFL job offer that sways him back toward the pro game? It’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility.

However, you do have to figure North Carolina would have angled to get some contractual protection there, if at all possible. In any case, it’ll be interesting to hear what the man himself has to say about the move this afternoon.