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Bill Belichick joining UNC wasn’t a surprising choice. It was his only choice.

COMMENTARY

Bill Belichick said all the right things Thursday afternoon.

Such a statement sounds jarring, especially given his 24-year run of stone-faced press conferences and muted musings in Foxborough.

Granted, just about everything involving Thursday’s press conference was striking, as Bill Belichick — dressed in a baby-blue shirt and argyle tie — waxed poetic about the University of North Carolina Tar Heels.

After spending nearly half a century patrolling NFL sidelines, the 72-year-old Belichick is moving on from the league he once reigned over in search of an exciting new challenge.

At least, such was the sentiment he shared as he fielded questions at Chapel Hill.