CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- By the time Bill Belichick arrived for the news conference announcing his hire as the next North Carolina football coach, more than 200 people had crammed into a room inside Kenan Memorial Stadium. There was a palpable mix of jubilation and astonishment among longtime Tar Heels fans and boosters still amazed that their school had done something that, days earlier, might have seemed unfathomable.
Athletic director Bubba Cunningham wore a suit with the sleeves cut off, a tribute to Belichick's signature look from his 24 years patrolling sidelines for the New England Patriots in a disheveled sweatshirt, winning six Super Bowls along the way.