‘Why are his sleeves cut off?’ What to know about Bill Belichick’s signature look & sayings
At a news conference Thursday, Dec. 12, to welcome six-time Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Belichick as the school’s next head football coach, UNC Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham greeted him with open arms — and strange attire.
The Tar Heels AD showed up to the conference in a suit jacket with the sleeves cut off, which reportedly got a laugh out of Belichick.
But what was the reasoning behind it? That was a question someone left on a recent News & Observer Instagram post featuring Cunningham and Belichick.
Here’s what to know about Belichick’s signature outfit, and a couple of sayings Tar Heel fans should probably get used to hearing after games.
What’s with the sleeveless jacket?
The jacket was likely a nod to Belichick’s wardrobe preference on the sideline during his time with the New England Patriots, which often included a hoodie or sweatshirt with the sleeves cut off, USA Today reported.
According to ESPN, Belichick began sporting the sleeveless look during his early years with the Patriots, including in 2007, when the team went undefeated during the regular season.
“It’s comfortable, I can carry stuff in my pouch,” Belichick told reporters about the look in 2011.
He also revealed the reason why he cut the sleeves off.
“I have short arms,” he said.
Belichick was presented with sleeveless UNC hoodie on Thursday, but whether he will wear it remains to be seen.
‘No days off’
Belichick isn’t just known for his fashion statements, he’s also notorious for memorable catch phrases.
At the Patriots Super Bowl LI victory parade in 2017, Belichick began a chant of “No days off,” referring to the amount of work the team put in to win the championship.
The Patriots overcame a 28-3 deficit against the Atlanta Falcons during that game, completing the largest comeback in Super Bowl history.
The team filed to trademark the phrase on the day of the parade, CBS News reported.
Fans also seemed to embrace the phrase, when Belichick was met with “no days off” chants from a boisterous crowd at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, an annual golf tournament in California, ESPN reported.
‘We’re on to Cincinnati’
Another one of Belichick’s most popular sayings is “We’re on to…,” which usually comes after his team loses.
In 2014, Belichick’s post-game interview after the Patriots lost 41-14 to the Kansas City Chiefs went viral after he repeated the phrase “we’re on to Cincinnati” (referring to the next game on the schedule) five times reporters asked about the loss, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
Belichick’s stonewall may have irked reporters, but Belichick’s philosophy of “turning the page” after a loss paid off, since the Patriots won the Super Bowl that season.
Now, he’s on to Chapel Hill.
