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Former North Carolina quarterback Gio Lopez had critical words for the Bill Belichick-led program in a recent interview after transferring from the Tar Heels to Wake Forest.
Lopez transferred to North Carolina before the 2025 season from South Alabama. He played in 11 games for the Tar Heels and had 1,747 passing yards and 10 touchdown passes. North Carolina went 4-8 in Belichick’s first season at the helm.
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North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Gio Lopez celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first half against the Duke Blue Devils at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on Nov. 22, 2025. (William Howard/Image Images)
The former Tar Heels quarterback has been critical of his time in North Carolina and spoke out again in an interview with ESPN late last month.
“At the other school, it felt like there was no air,” he told the outlet. “It’s fun here again. They’re leading us in the right direction, with energy, and the guys are enjoying football. It’s like fresh air. I’ve never had to respond to difficult situations like that on such a loud scale.”
Belichick spent 24 seasons as head coach of the NFL’s New England Patriots and guided the team to six Super Bowl titles. After leaving the Patriots, Belichick took the Tar Heels job and brought his NFL experience and professionalism to North Carolina.
Lopez said being in North Carolina felt “more like a job.”
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North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Gio Lopez looks to pass during the second quarter at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on Nov. 8, 2025. (Bob Donnan/Image Images)
“After the first game, I felt like I was just getting through the day. You don’t want to live like that, where you’re awake at night thinking about the next day,” he said.
Barney Lopez, Gio’s father, also criticized the way the program was run.
“The situation there… I’m not a Super Bowl champion, so I don’t know, but I don’t think it was handled in the best way for college football, for the students and the players,” he told ESPN. “This set my son back.”
Lopez is now on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. He and redshirt freshman Steele Pizzella are listed on the depth chart.
The Jake Dickert-coached program went 9-4 in 2025 and won the Mayo Bowl from Duke. Rob Ezell is the team’s offensive coordinator.
Wake Forest will open the season on September 3 against the Akron Zips.
Head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels watches the game against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, California, on October 17, 2025. (Thien-An Truong/Getty Images)
North Carolina general manager Mike Lomdardi defended Belichick from his detractors in March.
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“Throughout those stormy times, through all the time when the ship was capsizing, when people were attacking us with rumors and false stories everywhere (no one has corrected them yet, but it’s okay, we understand), our players stuck together,” Lombardi said on the “Pat McAfee Show” last month.
