Belichick reveals the one word he told Wake Forest coach in icy handshake

Bill Belichick had a one-word explanation for his icy interaction with Wake Forest head coach Jake Dickert following North Carolina’s 28-12 loss to the Demon Deacons over the weekend.

The cold interaction from Belichick followed a brutal loss in which the Tar Heels failed to find the end zone in all four quarters and ended with a final 2-yard, fourth-down touchdown from Robby Ashford with just 22 seconds on the clock.

North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick walks off the field after an NCAA college football game against Syracuse. The game took place in Syracuse, New York, on Oct. 31, 2025. (Adrian Kraus/AP Photo)

“We just didn’t have a good night and it certainly wasn’t enough here,” Belichick said plainly during the postgame presser. “We’ll just get back to work this week and see if we can get back on track. We’re a better team than we were tonight. We just weren’t very good.”

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But it was Belichick’s postgame handshake – or lack thereof – with Dickert that drew heavy criticism.

Video shared on social media showed Dickert running towards midfield. As he neared the legendary NFL coach, Dickert removed his hat to shake hands with Belichick, who seemingly rushed past him into the locker room.

Referee Anthony Maynor and head coach Jake Dickert of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons watch a replay review in the second half during a game against the Virginia Cavaliers at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Nov. 8, 2025. (Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images)

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“This is an awful look for Bill Belichick,” one person wrote on social media. “When you occupy the space Bill does, you should recognize what these games mean to opposing coaches.”

“Not very sportsman like,” another added.

When questioned about the handshake after the game and what was said between the two coaches, Belichick simply replied, “Congratulations.”

Head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels looks on during the first half of a football game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on Nov. 15, 2025. (David Jensen/Getty Images)

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North Carolina dropped to 4-6 as it faces a must-win situation for bowl eligibility when it hosts Duke on Saturday.

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