In this week’s episode, we’ll dive back into the Bill Belichick saga at North Carolina and as we predicted in the early days of the podcast, it isn’t working well. We’ll then dig a few layers deeper and ask, “Who really runs the department?” and provide you with stories of the absolute power of a head coach in a high-major college athletic department and of the ridiculousness of some of their requests and the mental toll it can take on a staffer that’s just trying to do their job.

How did coaches gain so much power? Is there a way to curb it? How much does media coverage play into this dynamic? And what are some ways to change how coaches are perceived? 

This episode was produced and written by Brandon Barca and Andy Boggs.

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Timestamps:

UNC's Turbulent Belichick Era: We Told You So  — (03:36)

Do College Coaches Wield Too Much Power? —  (06:05)

The Cult of the College Coach —  (20:22)

Who Really Runs the Athletic Department? —  (26:01)

The Toll of Coach Ego and Burnout —  (31:03)

The Watergate Moment: Hot Mic Revelation —  (34:07)

Promoting The Coach And Forgetting The Players - (40:42)

Will the Power Structure Ever Change? —  (1:06:38)