Yes, they expected a rebuild, but they didn't expect the current team to suck this bad. Three defeats by 25 points or more, with these games being over in the third quarter and the other team playing their scrubs in the fourth quarter. Even after the application of such mercy, they've been out-scored 120-33 in games against teams from major conferences i.e. not cream-puffs. They really are a laughing stock.
The worse part is they don't see much urgency on Bill's part. Read the linked articles. They signed him to a $50M contract but don't see him burning the midnight oil to try to right the ship. Instead they see him flying off to Nantucket to hang out with his young tart of a girlfriend. The locker room is divided between the kids they signed directly vs the kids they brought in via the portal, and there is no evidence that Bill is trying to address the issue. There is no evidence that he or his staff are doing anything to strip things down to a core group of players that can coach up to not get blown out on a regular basis.
I'm sure there is some schadenfreude on the part of some media members, but, on the other hand there is the ugly reality that is the current UNC program.
It'll be interesting to see how much time he gets at UNC. The info we have about the contract makes it look like it'll be hard to get rid of him, but contracts are made to be broken.
IMO the executives in the UNC athletic program need to have a "come to Jesus" meeting with Bill. He really needs to show he's doing something to improve the communication within the organization and has a plan to do something with this year's team, because if they don't, kids won't come to UNC next year. The WRAL article (link below) makes it clear that parents are not on his side. That's a terrible place to be when your success depends on getting parents to send their kids to your school.
Multiple sources with knowledge of the inner workings of Bill Belichick's program say that UNC football's losses are a product of a divided locker room, a disorganized coaching staff and a failure to communicate.
www.wral.com