Bill Belichick teases Newry punter’s involvement in Dublin clash Saturday

The UNC Tar Heels and TCU Horned Frogs have both touched down in Dublin ahead of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic at the Aviva Stadium this Saturday.

It will be the 12th time the College game will be played in Ireland, and the eighth time at the Aviva Stadium, as thousands of fans are expected to travel from North Carolina and Texas to cheer on their teams at the home of Irish rugby and soccer.

And while the teams are made up of the NFL stars of tomorrow, one bona fide NFL legend that will be on the touchline is UNC Head Coach Bill Belichick.

The Head Coach with the most Super Bowls in NFL history is in his second season with the Tar Heels, and after a disappointing season last time out, will be looking to reach heights he reached with the New England Patriots.

Belichick has coached in five NFL international games, and spoke about the experience of playing outside of the United States.

"Well, obviously a unique experience," Belichick said at the Aviva Stadium ahead of practice. "We haven’t done this before; only a couple of our coaches have played here at other schools. So, new for all of us. You know, it’s always exciting to play abroad. Looking forward to seeing how much the Irish fans, like, football, well, American football."

He added that for many of his players it is the first time they have ever travelled abroad.

"A lot of our guys haven’t been overseas, so they’re going through customs or going through international travel and having to go through the whole passport process and things like that. A lot of our players didn’t have passports, and that was part of the travel. The international travel is just a little bit different."

He added: "Driving through Dublin’s been interesting. Being on the wrong side of the road, we’ve got to get used to that. That’s a big one for us. We’ve got to look to the left before we cross the street. The number one most important thing on this trip is to look to the left."

The rain was bucketing down in Dublin on Thursday, and it is expected to continue into the weekend. With many fields in the USA being artificial, Aviva’s hybrid grass pitch may pose a different challenge for UNC, but Belichick isn’t too worried about the conditions.

"We certainly haven’t had weather like this in August in Chapel Hill," the coach joked. "We’ve had a couple of late afternoon downpours, but this is kind of more of a spring-type weather, if you will.

"We had plenty of that in the spring, but you know it’s been hot and humid, and so a lot different than that here. It feels good, honestly. I don’t think anybody’s complaining about it."

One name every Irish fan will be hoping to see is UNC punter Adam McCann-Gibbs. The Newry man will be the second Irish player to feature in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, after David Shananhan played for Georgia Tech in 2024.

The 18-year-old earned a scholarship to North Carolina earlier this year and has called his first few months "challenging" and also "incredible."

Belichick credited McCann-Gibbs hard work, having only started playing the sport properly in the last year.

"Adam McCann-Gibbs has worked hard," the NFL great said. "He’s made an adjustment. American football is different than what he’s been doing. He hasn’t done American football, so you know, he’s dealing with the rush, dealing with some of the situational plays that come up in punting.

"He’s a good kid. He works hard. He’s got a good leg. But as I said, there are a lot of things in the punting game that need to be mastered, and you know he’s working on them. Certainly not there yet — never punted in a game."

For UNC Offensive Lineman Christo Kelly, he won’t necessarily want to see McCann-Gibbs on the field as it means they didn’t score, but he’s excited to see the Down man return to Ireland and play in front of a home crowd.

"Yeah, the fewer times we punt, the better. So, probably hoping to keep him off," Kelly joked. "But no, he’s an unbelievable guy. The work that he puts in, the work ethic. He’s always one of the last guys to leave the facility. What he’s been able to do.

"Being able to see his journey, see where he came from. Everyone on the team has a greater sense of appreciation for Adam, for his journey, and it’s pretty cool to be here for him and see what Saturday has in store. We’re all fired up."

When asked if he would play Saturday, Belichick kept it short and sweet. "Maybe."

*This article was originally published on Extra.ie.