jili sites Stalled engines? Driverless routes and roboshuttles

Winning 41 out of 58 seats his party contested, Nationalist Congress Party chief Ajit Pawar has emerged as one of the biggest winners in the Maharashtra Assembly elections. Not too long ago, during the Lok Sabha elections, Ajit Pawar's party managed to win just one seat out of the four it contested, as opposed to NCP Sharad Pawar which won eight out of 10. Many of Ajit Pawar's critics began writing his obituary and claiming that the NCP can't exist without Sharad Pawar. However, Ajit Pawar has proven all the critics wrong. At the time of writing the story, the party had won or was leading on 71 percent of the seats it contested. How did this turnaround come about, that too in just about five months? Central to the turnaround in Ajit Pawar's fortunes was the political consultancy handling his campaign - DesignBoxed, which has till now worked mostly with senior Congress leaders like DK Shivakumar, Ashok Gehlot, TS Singh Deo and a few Congress state units. The company's co-founder Naresh Arora had stationed himself in Maharashtra for the past four months and managed every aspect of Ajit Pawar's campaign. There are broadly six aspects to their intervention. ADVERTISEMENT REMOVE AD 1. Localised Campaign Following the Lok Sabha election success for the Maha Vikas Aghadi, the sentiment seemed to be in their favour. The NCP's strategists decided to localise the election as much as possible by focusing on the work done by local leaders. Despite its below par performance at the Lok Sabha level, Ajit Pawar's NCP had the advantage of having good leaders at the Assembly constituency level, such as Chhaggan Bhujbal in Yevla, Indranil Naik in Pusad, Hasan Mushrif in Kagal, Narhari Zirwal in Dindori, Manikrao Kokate in Sinnar to name a few. The NCPSP didn't have such a strong line-up and had to import leaders from other parties. "One of Ajit Pawar's strongest points is that he has always allowed local leaders to grow and become brands in their own right. This worked to the party's advantage," Arora said. Taking this approach forward, the team pushed for constituency-specific manifestoes that helped showcase the work done by MLAs and also provide a vision of what they plan to do. Making the campaign localised helped the NCP neutralise any state-wide anti-incumbency and also overcome the impact of caste divisions. 2. Change in Ajit Pawar's Image "It is well known that Ajit Pawar is an excellent administrator. But our challenge was to now make him a vote-getter," Arora disclosed. For the party and its strategists, this meant much more public interactions and media exposure than Ajit Pawar would do usually. "He is an excellent communicator and has good oratory in Marathi. These aspects hadn't gotten prominence for all these years because he was seen as the administrator and Sharad Pawar was the main vote getter," said Arora. The firm organised a Jan Sammaan Yatra as a massive public outreach programme in July-August, less than two months after the Lok Sabha defeat. The Yatra strengthened the NCP organisation greatly and helped restore confidence in the party. This is similar to the Yatra Designboxed helped organise for DK Shivakumar in the run-up to the Karnataka Assembly elections. ADVERTISEMENT REMOVE AD 3. Pink Theme, Focus on Women There was also a clear effort to have visual consistency in the NCP's promotional material, whether on the ground or in the media and social media. The strategists chose a pink theme for Pawar's campaign - from the colour on creatives on social media to the stage at rallies, accessories given to party supporters and even the jackets and turbans worn by Ajit Pawar. The idea was to use a colour that stands out and appeals, in particular, to women voters. Culturally too, pink is one of the traditional colours for turbans in Maharashtra. This was part of an exercise to portray a softer, more accessible image for Ajit Pawar and project him as a "brother" for the women in the state. This also came on the heels of the Laadki Bahin scheme of the state government, that proved to be a political game-changer. Each of the alliance partners have claimed that Ladki Bahin as their idea. Ajit Pawar, being the finance minister, had disbursed funds for it. ADVERTISEMENT REMOVE AD 4. No Attacks on Sharad Pawar Surveys conducted by DesignBoxed revealed that there is a significant degree of sympathy for Sharad Pawar. Therefore, the strategy was to ensure that no personal attacks are made either by Ajit Pawar or any other NCP leader against Sharad Pawar. The policy was also followed to some extent towards Uddhav Thackeray and Manoj Jarange Patil. Basically, anything that took the attention away from governance issues and welfare measures was avoided. ADVERTISEMENT REMOVE AD 5. Differentiate NCP, While Maintaining Alliance Dharma NCP was in a peculiar position, being a secular party in a pro-Hindutva alliance. The hostility of sections of the BJP and Shiv Sena towards Ajit Pawar was also well known. The other challenge was that the NCP has a sizable base among Muslims and it ran the risk of alienating them due to the alliance with BJP-Sena. "Our priority was to ensure that NCP has its individual identity, while maintaining the coalition Dharma," Arora said, citing the contrarian stand taken by Ajit Pawar on the Waqf Bill and the Vishalgarh Fort communal standoff. Towards the end of the election campaign, when the BJP began raising the "Batenge toh Katenge" slogan, Ajit Pawar called it "unnecessary". ADVERTISEMENT REMOVE AD 6. Scaling Up According to Arora, key to the NCP's success was the scale at which they took their message to the voters. He says that their campaign reached 18 lakh households, that too in just the 58 constituencies they were contesting. For a non-cadre based party, this was no small achievement. Sources say, this is where the Sharad Pawar NCP underestimated the Ajit Pawar NCP. The former relied greatly on political management and caste equations rather than ensuring that their message reaches maximum people. (At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.) Read Latest News and Breaking News at The Quint, browse for more from elections Topics: NCP Ajit Pawar Maharashtra ElectionsWill Elon Musk buy MSNBC after his successful Twitter pursuit? Tech billionaire drops a huge hintLawyers acknowledge improvements but push for further reforms

Christian Cueva celebrated his birthday on November 23 in a special way, accompanied by his partner, the singer Pamela Franco. During one of the cumbiambera presentations, the soccer player took the opportunity to start his celebration, in an event full of music and romance. Those attending Pamela’s concert could see how the footballer enjoyed his beloved’s songs, showing his support. Pamela Franco surprises Christian Cueva with a romantic message The most emotional moment of the night came when Pamela, while performing her popular song ‘Simply Friends’, looked at Christian Cueva and, before continuing with the next verse, surprised the audience with a sincere “I love you, my love. So affectionate he”. This gesture, full of complicity, was quickly captured by attendees and went viral on social networks. Furthermore, a song that marked the night was ‘El cervecero’, a song that Pamela Franco and Christian Cueva recently recorded together. Despite a legal conflict related to the copyright of the song, both managed to reach an agreement with the composer to continue performing it in their presentations, which allowed them to share this song at their special celebration. Christian Cueva and Pamela Franco got permission to sing ‘El Cervecero’ After weeks of uncertainty, Pamela Franco and Christian Cueva managed to obtain authorization to sing ‘El cervecero’. The agreement was made official through a document signed by the author, José María Yzazaga. The text, spread on the platform Instarándula states: “I, José María Yzazaga Quispe (...) in full use of my mental faculties, authorize Pamela Cristle Franco Viera (...) to perform it in shows and musical productions that I see fit, as well as in audio and video, a song of my authorship whose title is ‘Cervecero’ (...)”. With this permission, Cave and Franco They will be able to include the song in live performances and other musical projects, thus consolidating their success. However, it has not been confirmed whether the composer’s initial demand, who had requested compensation of 200,000 soles due to previous use of the theme. Join our entertainment channel6th Annual Coats for Kids Drop Off Locations

Cam Carter put LSU ahead for good with a jumper 1:08 into the third overtime and the Tigers came away with a wild 109-102 win over UCF on Sunday in the third-place game of the Greenbrier Tip-Off in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. Carter's make sparked a 5-0 spurt for LSU (5-1), which mounted a ferocious second-half rally that began after Darius Johnson drilled a 3-pointer to put the Knights up 52-34 with 12:57 to play in regulation. UCF (4-2) got back within two in the third overtime, but it never found a way to draw even. Vyctorius Miller and Jordan Sears sealed the victory, combining for three buckets down low that gave the Tigers a 106-99 cushion with 17 seconds remaining. Carter was the late-game hero for LSU, scoring the final four points of regulation to forge a 70-70 tie. He also knocked down a go-ahead 3-pointer with 3:19 left in the first extra session to give the Tigers a 76-75 advantage. Sears gave LSU a four-point edge with a triple of his own with 2:10 to go, but the Tigers failed to stay in front, and UCF's Keyshawn Hall kept the game going by sinking two free throws with six seconds remaining to make it 82-82. Neither team led by more than three in the second overtime, with Hall again coming to the Knights' rescue. He made two layups in the final 52 seconds of the frame to knot things at 93 and send the teams to a third OT. Few could have predicted 15 minutes of extra basketball after UCF put together a 25-3 first-half run that lifted it to a 38-18 advantage with 2:12 left until the break. LSU responded with seven unanswered points, but the Knights still led comfortably, 40-25, at intermission. Sears finished with a game-high-tying 25 points to go along with nine boards, while Jalen Reed recorded a 21-point, 13-rebound double-double for the Tigers. Carter netted 20 points, Miller had 16 and Dji Bailey chipped in 14. Johnson collected 25 points, six rebounds, eight assists and five steals for UCF. Hall totaled 21 points and 10 boards, and Jordan Ivy-Curry supplied 20 points. LSU outshot UCF 43.2 percent to 40.7 percent and had narrow advantages from behind the arc (12 made shots to 10) and the free-throw line (21-18). --Field Level Media

Storm Bert: Landslide hits Co Galway and ‘worst flooding in living memory’ in three towns"Brain Rot" Is Poisoning Our MindsHottest toys of 2024

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Isaiah Johnson scored 21 points as Portland State beat Wofford 79-74 at the Cream City Challenge in Milwaukee on Sunday. Johnson had nine rebounds for the Vikings (3-3). Jaylin Henderson scored 18 points, shooting 6 for 12, including 4 for 10 from beyond the arc. Qiant Myers finished 5 of 8 from the field to finish with 10 points, while adding six rebounds and six assists. The Terriers (2-5) were led by Dillon Bailey, who posted 20 points. Corey Tripp added 17 points, five assists and two steals for Wofford. Kyler Filewich also had 10 points and six rebounds. NEXT UP Portland State plays Saturday against Utah Tech at home, and Wofford hosts North Alabama on Sunday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

Jake Paul has set his sights on fighting some of the sport’s established elites after beating Mike Tyson , his promotional partner has revealed. Paul won last week’s big-money fight in Texas by a unanimous decision, but the YouTuber-turned-boxer was criticised for picking a fight against the 58-year-old . However, on the back of the bout, Paul is believed to want to take his boxing career to the next level and will look to ‘test the limits of what’s possible’ in the ring. Speaking to Sky Sports , promoter Nakisa Bidarian said: "He has plenty of options. He's going to take a few days off and then we're going to sit down next week with him, his advisers, his coaches and determine the next steps. “This was an opportunity to grab the world's attention and remind them why this is such a beautiful sport. Jake played a major part in doing that in his match against Mike Tyson and strategically we positioned Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano right before them. "In terms of what's next for Jake - whatever he wants it to be, to be honest." Speculation has been swirling around who Paul might face off against next, with Daniel Dubois and Anthony Joshua mentioned among his potential opponents. Dubois even called the 27-year-old out after the Tyson fight, posting on social media: "Hi Jake, good business on the weekend but how would you feel fighting for the legitimate heavyweight championship of the world this is Daniel Dubois calling you out. Let's get it on.” And Bidarian revealed it’s something his client would be keen to get involved with. He continued: "Jake's feedback to me was I want to do that fight [against Dubois]. Not now. But I want to do that fight. "To be a world champion at cruiserweight, he wants to do that. The other is to test the limits of expectations. Test the limits of what's possible. "This event with Mike Tyson, that tested the limits of what was possible for the world to see and him fighting Anthony Joshua or Daniel Dubois is kind of the same thing. "Jake weighed in at 227lbs but really he walks around at 215. But he'll do it for the right environment, the right framework.” Paul earned a reported £32million for the Tyson fight, but Bidarian is keen to stress the American isn’t involving himself in the sport for the cash. When quizzed on Paul’s motive, Bidarian stated: "It isn't about the money. He's made lots of money from the time he was 18 years old. It's really about disruption. "It's really about doing things that make you say: 'Wow, that really happened.' That's what excites us.”

No. 21 Arizona State on the rise in Kenny Dillingham's second season as coachShare Tweet Share Share Email Reimagined, Gamified Learning Delivers Endless Math Questions, Targeted Social Engagement, and Rigorous Privacy Controls 100x announces the launch of its inventive digital learning environment dedicated to boosting children’s mathematical abilities. Available at play100x.com , this no-cost application leverages a highly scalable algorithm to produce unlimited exercises in BIDMAS, multiplication, LCM, HCF, percentages, and other core topics—providing a transformative experience for students, educators, and academic institutions. Built on state-of-the-art gamification , 100x incorporates top-tier engagement methods that maintain steady participation, heightened motivation, and clear skill development outcomes. Kids can add or remove friends, compete on leaderboards, and display their progress—all in a protected, privacy-focused setting. They can also deactivate their accounts whenever they wish, safeguarding personal autonomy. This approach, coupled with robust safety protocols, aligns with international data protection standards and parental expectations, establishing a new benchmark for trusted educational tools. At 100x, our vision is to unite cutting-edge technology with proven academic strategies so children can enjoy a secure and dynamic space to master essential math skills,” said Vish Murugesan, Founder of 100x . “We believe open access to quality resources, strong privacy controls, and peer-based learning activities help nurture both confidence and subject mastery.” Key Differentiators Infinite Math Content Proprietary algorithms adjust to each learner’s level, offering an endless supply of math challenges that reinforce understanding and promote long-term mastery. Gamification-Driven Engagement A thoughtfully crafted rewards system—including points, badges, and friendly competitions—turns everyday math drills into interactive exercises that inspire self-guided learning. Safe Social Networking Kids can add or remove friends while checking their rankings in a closely monitored environment. This approach fosters healthy rivalry without compromising privacy. Data Privacy and Autonomy 100x refrains from tracking individual activity, reducing compliance issues while ensuring an ethical user framework. The option to deactivate an account highlights the platform’s commitment to personal control. No Barriers to Entry Entirely free, 100x removes financial hurdles and brings top-tier math instruction to learners everywhere, reflecting a philosophy of equality and inclusion. A Strategic Value Proposition for Teachers and Schools Educators can seamlessly integrate 100x into lesson plans, assessments, or support programs. The system’s adaptive questions in BIDMAS, multiplication, LCM, HCF, percentages, and beyond allow teachers to pinpoint student needs, address gaps, and apply diverse instructional methods effectively. Classroom competitions spark motivation, improve collaboration, and strengthen understanding of math concepts. By adopting 100x, schools can nurture a sense of academic achievement and encourage a lasting appreciation for mathematics. Stringent privacy measures enable safe deployment on any scale. Ongoing refinements and alignment with recognized academic standards confirm 100x as a reliable partner for schools prioritizing innovation and learner-centric practices. About 100x 100x was founded on the belief that all children deserve a supportive, engaging space for mastering math skills. By uniting advanced algorithmic design, user-cantered principles, and proven engagement tactics, the platform equips learners with the mathematical foundation crucial for academic and professional success. Guided by a multidisciplinary team of mathematicians, educators, child psychologists, and technologists, 100x continues to evolve as a versatile and high-calibre educational solution. This comprehensive approach tackles challenges in traditional learning systems and champions new standards in educational excellence. Related Items: Elevate , math skills Share Tweet Share Share Email Recommended for you High Tea Menu Ideas: Classic vs. Contemporary Elevate Your Freelance Career: Harnessing the Power of Digital Business Cards Elevate Your Construction Career: The Advantages of Holding a CSCS Labourer Card Comments

Los Angeles Chargers (7-4) at Atlanta (6-5) Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS BetMGM NFL Odds: Chargers by 1 1/2 Series record: Falcons lead 8-4. Against the spread: Chargers 7-3-1, Falcons 5-6. Last meeting: Chargers beat Falcons 20-17 on Nov. 6, 2022, in Atlanta. Last week: Ravens beat Chargers, 30-23; Falcons had bye week following 38-6 loss at Denver on Nov. 17. Chargers offense: overall (21), rush (13), pass (20), scoring (18). Chargers defense: overall (13), rush (10), pass (10), scoring (13). Falcons offense: overall (8), rush (14), pass (5), scoring (16). Falcons defense: overall (25), rush (19), pass (26), scoring (26). Turnover differential: Chargers plus-8, Falcons minus-3. RB Gus Edwards could move up as the lead back for Los Angeles as J.K Dobbins (knee) is expected to miss the game . Edwards was activated from injured reserve earlier this month following an ankle injury and had nine carries for 11 yards with a touchdown in Monday night's 30-23 loss to Baltimore. WR Drake London has 61 catches, leaving him four away from becoming the first player in team history to have at least 65 receptions in each of his first three seasons. London has 710 receiving yards, leaving him 140 away from becoming the first player in team history with at least 850 in each of his first three seasons. Falcons RB Bijan Robinson vs. Chargers run defense. Robinson was shut down by Denver, gaining only 35 yards on 12 carries, and the Atlanta offense couldn't recover. The Chargers rank 10th in the league against the run, so it will be a challenge for the Falcons to find a way to establish a ground game with Robinson and Tyler Allgeier. A solid running attack would create an opportunity for offensive coordinator Zac Robinson to establish the play-action passes for quarterback Kirk Cousins. Dobbins appeared to injure his right knee in the first half of the loss to the Ravens, though coach Jim Harbaugh did not provide details. ... The Falcons needed the bye to give a long list of injured players an opportunity to heal. WR WR KhaDarel Hodge (neck) did not practice on Wednesday. WR Darnell Mooney (Achilles), CB Kevin King (concussion), DL Zach Harrison (knee, Achilles) and WR Casey Washington (concussion) were hurt in the 38-6 loss at Denver on Nov. 17 and were limited on Wednesday. CB Mike Hughes (neck), nickel back Dee Alford (hamstring), ILB Troy Andersen (knee), TE Charlie Woerner (concussion) and ILB JD Bertrand (concussion) also were limited on Wednesday after not playing against Denver. C Drew Dalman (ankle) could return. The Chargers have won the past three games in the series following six consecutive wins by the Falcons from 1991-2012. Los Angeles took a 33-30 overtime win in Atlanta in 2016 before the Chargers added 20-17 wins at home in 2020 and in Atlanta in 2022. The Falcons won the first meeting between the teams, 41-0 in San Diego in 1973. Each team has built its record on success against the soft NFC South. Atlanta is 4-1 against division rivals. Los Angeles is 2-0 against the NFC South this season. The Chargers have a four-game winning streak against the division. ... Atlanta is 0-2 against AFC West teams, following a 22-17 loss to Kansas City and the lopsided loss at Denver. They will complete their tour of the AFC West with a game at the Las Vegas Raiders on Dec. 16. ... The Falcons are the league's only first-place team with a negative points differential. Atlanta has been outscored 274-244. The loss of Dobbins, who has rushed for eight touchdowns, could put more pressure on QB Justin Hebert and the passing game. Herbert's favorite option has been WR Ladd McConkey, who has four TD receptions among his 49 catches for 698 yards. McConkey, the former University of Georgia standout who was drafted in the second round, could enjoy a productive return to the state against a Falcons defense that ranks only 26th against the pass. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

How Investors Avoided an Overvalued Stock That Crashed 32%MILWAUKEE (AP) — Isaiah Johnson scored 21 points as Portland State beat Wofford 79-74 at the Cream City Challenge in Milwaukee on Sunday. Johnson had nine rebounds for the Vikings (3-3). Jaylin Henderson scored 18 points, shooting 6 for 12, including 4 for 10 from beyond the arc. Qiant Myers finished 5 of 8 from the field to finish with 10 points, while adding six rebounds and six assists. The Terriers (2-5) were led by Dillon Bailey, who posted 20 points. Corey Tripp added 17 points, five assists and two steals for Wofford. Kyler Filewich also had 10 points and six rebounds. NEXT UP Portland State plays Saturday against Utah Tech at home, and Wofford hosts North Alabama on Sunday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

None

Kylian Mbappé missed a penalty kick again and Federico Valverde gifted a late goal as Real Madrid lost ground to Barcelona in the Spanish league after a 2-1 loss at Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday night. Mbappé had his penalty saved by Athletic goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala in the 68th minute, and Valverde lost possession on defense to allow an easy winner by Gorka Guruzeta in the 80th. "We knew that he is a good penalty taker," Agirrezabala said of Mbappé. "He missed the last one and I believed that he was going to choose the same side and luckily that's what happened." Valverde had control of the ball but gave it away while trying to get past a few Athletic players instead of passing it to a teammate, leaving Guruzeta with an easy run into the area for his goal. Álex Berenguer had put the hosts ahead in the 53td and Jude Bellingham equalised for Madrid in the 78th. Mbappé had also missed a penalty in Madrid's 2-0 loss at Liverpool in the Champions League last week. He didn't take the one for the club in a Spanish league match on Sunday, but he scored in the 2-0 win over Getafe to ease some of the pressure on him and the club. But it was another lacklustre outing for Mbappé, who continues to struggle in his first season since finally joining the Spanish powerhouse. "I won't evaluate the performance of a player because of a missed penalty. Obviously he is sad and disappointed, but you have to move on," Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said about Mbappé. "He is not at his best level, but you have to give him time to adapt. You have to give him time to be able to do better." The defeat left Madrid four points behind Barcelona, who on Tuesday ended a three-match winless streak in the league with a 5-1 rout at Mallorca. Madrid, who have a game in hand, had won three consecutive league games since a 4-0 loss at home in the "clasico" against Barcelona. Madrid has lost five of its last 11 matches in all competitions. Athletic moved to fourth place with the victory, its fourth consecutive across all competitions. Both matches on Tuesday and Wednesday were moved forward in the schedule because the clubs will be playing in the Spanish Super Cup in January. --- AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerSentinelOne Revenue Beat, Guidance Underwhelms. Shares Fall.

Golden at-bat idea brings critics to the plate: 'Absolutely stupid and ridiculous'

With the Los Angeles Chargers now playoff bound following a win over the New England Patriots on Saturday afternoon, few have it better than head coach Jim Harbaugh . And his pocketbook is doing well, too. By clinching one of the AFC’s wildcard slots — Kansas City has won the AFC West already — Harbaugh has the Chargers in the tournament and triggered a big bonus, as he’s set to earn $1 million for making it to the postseason, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. That’s on top of his already hefty reported base salary of $16 million annually. So it’s a safe bet the cross-country flight from New England back to the West Coast will be a contented one for Harbaugh and Co. And his team on the field has given him plenty of reason to be content, too. Los Angeles is 10-6 with one game remaining, and has been a team reborn largely due to a rapid defensive turnaround, led by coordinator Jesse Minter , who came with Harbaugh from Michigan. That unit entered the day ranked No. 2 in the NFL in points per game and No. 17 in yards allowed. A 40-7 win on Saturday will do little to harm those figures. And while the offense hasn’t been gangbusters, quarterback Justin Herbert appears to have a newfound confidence and conviction to his play and the run game has begun to evolve and progress. It’s been a stark departure from the 5-12 mark that Los Angeles posted in 2023. And it’s hardly the first time Harbaugh has headed up one of these turnarounds. With the Chargers clinching the playoffs on Saturday, Harbaugh becomes the first head coach in the Super Bowl era to take two teams with losing records the prior year to the playoffs in his first year as head coach, according to the AP’s Josh Dubow. He took the San Francisco 49ers to the playoffs in 2011, his first year as head coach there. The Chargers finish the 2024 regular season at the Las Vegas Raiders. A win would push Los Angeles to 11-6, the best win-loss mark for the franchise since the team went 12-4 in 2018. The Chargers are also seeking a playoff win for the first time since that season. This will also be Los Angeles’ first playoff appearance since 2022. This article first appeared on 5 GOATs and was syndicated with permission.Kirk Ferentz made sure to note the number one rule before offering his thoughts on Bill Belichick’s decision to return to coaching. “Rule number one for Bill is do not talk for other people,” Ferentz said. “Keep that in mind.” To Ferentz, the decision from the eight-time Super Bowl winner demonstrated a clear passion for the game. “It says he loves coaching,” Ferentz said. “I think that is pretty evident. The other logical thing, if you watch his press conference, he talked about his dad. His dad was a career college coach at the Naval Academy, most of his career. Coincidentally, (he spent) a couple years at UNC, which is interesting. ... His dad was an amazing person. You can see where Bill’s love of football came from because his dad was all about football all the time.” New North Carolina head football coach Bill Belichick waves to the crowd at Dean Smith Center during halftime of an NCAA college basketball game between La Salle and North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C., Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown) During his introductory press conference in Chapel Hill last week, Belichick cited his love for coaching as his reason for returning to the sideline at 72 years old, confirming Ferentz's suspicions. “When you love what you do, it is not work,” Belichick said. “I love what I do. I love coaching. I love the interactions with the players. I love building a team, working with assistants, game-planning, the game itself.” The all-time winningest head coach in Iowa’s history then jokingly offered his advice to his former boss from his time with the Cleveland Brown as Belichick joins the college ranks for the first time in his storied career. “Turn around and run like hell,” Ferentz said. Joking aside, Ferentz said he expects Belichick to find success with the Tar Heels despite his exclusively professional resume after starting as a special assistant with the Baltimore Colts in 1975. New North Carolina head football coach Bill Belichick walks on the court of Dean Smith Center during halftime of an NCAA college basketball game between La Salle and North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C., Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown) “Football is football — pro, college or high school,” Ferentz said. “If you are coaching, then you love coaching. I think it is not a surprise at all. I think it is probably a genius move at UNC.” “Nobody is more adept at handling change or crazy circumstances. ... He is ultra-successful for a lot of reasons. He can take whatever presents itself and he is going to figure out a way to work through it.” Ferentz specifically cited the Browns’ decision to cut quarterback Bernie Kosar midway through the 1993 season, and the relocation of the franchise to Baltimore in the middle of the 1995 season, as evidence of Belichick’s ability to adapt on the fly. “He does not need my advice,” Ferentz said. “He will do really well. I know he will have really good people around him, starting with Mike Lombardi. He will be ready to roll.” Ferentz highlighted Belichick’s “firsthand exposure” through his father, Steve Belichick, and his son Stephen Belichick’s role as defensive coordinator at Washington and his scouting experience as additional reasons to be confident in the future Hall of Fame coach. “He spent time up there with Steve,” Ferentz said. “He has gotten firsthand exposure live and in-person. He knows the college game from going around scouting, talking to college coaches frequently regarding prospects.” Like Ferentz’s inclination regarding his love for coaching, Belichick also affirmed Ferentz’s inclinations regarding his familiarity with the college game during his presser. “This really kind of a dream come true,” Belichick said. “I grew up in college football with my dad as a coach at Navy for 50 years. As a kid, all I knew was college football. So, it is great to come back home to Carolina and back in an environment that I really grew up in. “When you are little, you do not remember everything. I was too young to remember a lot of things from Carolina, but as I grew up, you hear the same stories over and over and over again. So one story I always heard was Billy’s first words were: Beat Duke.” Belichick also mentioned he saw a lot of parallels between the college and professional levels of college football. “There are certainly some differences, but there are some parallels,” Belichick said. “That is the reason for the general structure of (the staff) Michael (Lombardi) as a general manager, myself as a coach and working together collaboratively like we have done in a professional organization.” Belichick’s work is cut out for him. On Saturday, the Tar Heels fell to Connecticut 27-14 in the Fenway Bowl to finish the season 6-7 and 12 in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). North Carolina’s 2024 recruiting class also ranks fourth in the ACC despite bringing in more recruits (33) than any other team in the league. Nonetheless, Ferentz sees success ahead for Belichick and the Tar Heels. “Just make sure they are not on our schedule,” Ferentz said. “That would be a task there.” Get local news delivered to your inbox!

AP Sports SummaryBrief at 5:02 p.m. EST