After the triumphant return of college football to the sports video game world last season, fans of the EA series are eagerly awaiting news of what to expect for this year’s follow-up, EA Sports College Football 26. On the real fields, one of the biggest news stories in all of college football is taking place at a traditional basketball school, as the University of North Carolina Tar Heels have hired NFL coaching legend Bill Belichick to be their new program head.
With Belichick coming to the college world, you may be wondering if he’ll be making his debut in college football’s video game series, too.
Are Coaches Coming To EA Sports College Football 26?
As sports video games have evolved across generations of systems, increasing realism has been a key selling point for fans. One of the innovations EA turned to was reaching agreements with coaches to appear on the digital sidelines with their own virtual representations. Having real coaches in the game can create a more immersive and realistic experience by bringing more of the big names you’re used to onto your screen.
This can be particularly important in college games, where the rules mandate roster turnover at all times and where improvements to athlete power and protections have increased movement during those college years. This means coaches are the long-lasting pillars of major programs. Accordingly, EA will be bringing the incorporation of real coaches into the next edition this year, so some of the biggest names in football coaching will be available to lead your squad.
Bill Belichick’s History In Video Games
Because Bill Belichick is not a member of the coaching union, EA has not traditionally included him in its games. While it is possible to reach agreements with those outside of their unions when making a sports video game, this is not always successful, and there is a long track record of Belichick and EA not coming to terms.
In the series’ popular Madden franchise, Belichick has been regularly replaced with generic coaches, with only a few limited appearances to speak of. The various forms Belichick has taken on include:
- Bill Belichick: Before establishing himself as the most contrarian contrarian to ever be contrarian, Belichick appeared in Madden 02.
- NE Coach: Following in a tradition that goes as far back as Tecmo Super Bowl when QB Bills was preparing to lead Buffalo to their first of four straight Super Bowl losses, NE Coach is also the most iconic and, with some irony, revered version of Belichick in Madden.
- Josh Moore: A faceless wonder, this generic Bill did not have staying power and was soon left on the scrap bin to be replaced by…
- Chad Masters: The closest EA has come to replicating the old ball coach without his license has been in Masters, a surly looking older coach that gives off vibes of Belichick without infringing.
- Griffin Murphy: Swinging hard in the other direction, Murphy’s model was that of a younger coach less like Belichick and more like AFC East rival Mike McDaneil.
- Peter Gaffney: With modern Madden games the developer has moved to real photos for its fake coaches, and so was Peter Gaffney born to be the new coach of New England.
- Hal Ophamer: As a special treat, there’s even a bonus Bill to be found in Madden’s tactical spinoff, NFL Head Coach, where the coach’s presence was apparently deemed the NFL version of the atom bomb.
Belichick’s Interesting Start At UNC
Few would have expected to see Belichick on a college sideline anytime soon before the bombshell announcement dropped, and with good reason. Belichick sits just 16 NFL wins behind George Halas for second most all-time and 26 from tying Don Shula’s NFL record. What’s more, with the Chiefs adding double digits to his tally annually, Andy Reid sitting just 29 behind will be leaving Belichick wondering if he’ll even maintain his podium place. Leaving the NFL was almost certainly a matter of no interest from teams, not the coach.
While being just short of his end goal may have been frustrating, it was still surprising to see him instead opt for a college job. His demeanor has never been one that seemed likely to translate well to college, let alone at a time when many other authority-first coaches of his caliber have been exiting the college ranks due to clashes with the newer, less-restricted player rules.
Any concerns of critics will only have grown in the months since, as it has emerged the job may well just be a way to slide his son into the job long-term. Further complications have arisen with the involvement of Belichick’s new girlfriend, nearly 50 years his junior, in nearly all facets of his life and the reported strife this is causing within the walls of UNC. It’s all shaping up to be a tumultuous start to the legend’s UNC coaching career.
Will Bill Belichick Be In EA Sports College Football 26?
Although EA has not yet confirmed the list of included coaches for EA Sports College Football ’26, all indications suggest that Belichick will not be part of the video game. Given the coach’s long history of not participating in prior football video games during his NFL career and the circumstances surrounding his move to UNC, it seems unlikely that he will appear in the game officially.
Instead, the most likely solution will be to include a fake representative, with the big question being which type of made-up coach they opt for. Will they choose a somewhat realistic approach, going for an older model, maybe even including sports casual wear as an outfit, or opt for something with no risk of Belichick and company feeling they’re getting cheeky by using a model with no resemblance at all? We’ll know soon enough when the game drops later this year!
