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Even the new Tar Heels must go to class.
UNC released its “standards of success” for the new head coach’s first college team. The crux of the directives is that new students (and athletes) or transfers (including athletes) must pass 9 hours in the first semester to keep going in the spring.
It’s worth noting that many of the 40 transfers signed by Bill Belichick came from schools that offered on-line courses; UNC is requiring athletes to attend class in their first academic year. Some of the transfers may have taken so many on-line courses that they never sat in a college classroom before arriving here.
The three main standards for success are as follows:
No. 1, Cumulative grade-point averages (GPA) must not fall below a 2.0; No. 2, Completion rate must be at least two-thirds of cumulative attempted credit hours; No. 3, cumulative hours that full-time undergraduates must have the following number of academic semester credit hours passed:
• 9 academic hours to enter a second semester
• 24 academic hours to enter a third semester (30 hours recommended)
• 36 academic hours to enter a fourth semester
• 51 academic hours to enter a fifth semester (60 hours recommended)
• 63 academic hours to enter a sixth semester
• 78 academic hours to enter a seventh semester (90 hours recommended)
• 93 academic hours to enter an eighth semester
• Special permission from the dean to enter a ninth semester (105 hours are required)
If players and fans don’t think Belichick can be disciplined with his team, they should review the story of cornerback Malcolm Butler (hero of a Super Bowl with his goal line interception) being benched from defensive snaps against the Eagles in the 2018 Super Bowl. Belichick and Butler have kept secret why that happened. Some say it was for discipline after playing 98 percent of the defensive snaps throughout that 2017 season. Without Butler, the Pats defense allowed the Eagles to score 41 points in the loss.
“We put the players and the game plan out there that we thought would give us the best chance to win,” the Hoodie said afterward.
Speculation on ChatGPT in the seven-plus years since that game has included Butler missing some practice time before the game; or he violated team rules during the two weeks of practice, both of which Butler has vehemently denied.
The exact reason for his benching has never been fully revealed and both Belichick and the Patriots organization have stayed vague. Many believe it was a decision rooted in Belichick’s rigid adherence to team rules and preparation standards – even at the cost of talent on the field. It remains one of the most second-guessed decisions in Super Bowl history.
So let that be a warning to the Tar Heels, who probably won’t be playing for any championships this season. The new head coach sets standards, and academics is clearly one of them.
Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications
Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Dean’s List.” He has contributed to WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs daily on the 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
