On Sunday, several former Patriots expressed skepticism about Bill Belichick's tenure as college football coach.
Ross Tucker may add his name to that list, as he jokingly predicted Belichick would be the “worst head coach in college” during an appearance on WEEI on Tuesday.
Tucker spent one season of his five-year NFL career in New England and currently hosts a podcast on the DraftKings Network.
“Based on my experience in non-modern college football and my experience playing for Coach Belichick almost 20 years ago, he's probably the worst college head coach I can imagine.” Tucker told hosts Christian Arcand and Andy Hart.
“I mean, the idea of guys that I've been around, like recruiting into a 17-year-old's living room. I want something bad enough to happen that I can taste this. I mean, if… If you're going to do that, you've got to have cameras everywhere. When I was in New England, that guy was like 100 percent negative reinforcement for how quickly their kids would go into the transfer portal. I’d like to see it.”
Multiple media outlets reported Wednesday evening that Tucker will get his wish as Belichick plans to become the next head coach at the University of North Carolina.
Belichick's interest in the position came as a surprise to almost everyone, with expectations entering the offseason that he would try to return to coaching in the NFL.
Belichick confirmed in an interview on “The Pat McAfee Show” this week that he is in talks with UNC officials about the position.
Tucker continued that with changes in college football and the right hires, Belichick could probably be successful.
But in Tucker's eyes, there was one big difference between coaching in the NFL and in college.
“One of the reasons Chip Kelly wasn't as successful when he went back to college and went back to UCLA is because he doesn't like recruiting,” Tucker said. “He doesn't like doing that. He doesn't like recruiting and endowments and all that stuff. In college, rightly or wrongly, for the head coach, the X's and O's of football. It's more about your personality and your ability to convince adults to give you money, and your ability to convince young people and their parents that you're looking out for them and putting them in the best position. It is the ability to convince someone that you are the right person to put them there.”
