TCU had a heckuva time ruining Invoice Belichick’s massive debut at North Carolina on Monday evening. The one one who may’ve had as a lot enjoyable because the Horned Frog gamers in Chapel Hill was 32-year-old Sam Lazarus.
TCU’s director of soccer artistic media, like the remainder of the Horned Frogs, had taken observe of how the whole lot surrounding Monday evening’s recreation was about Belichick and his staff. After all, that wasn’t a shock contemplating that the 73-year-old Belichick, the best coach in NFL historical past, was teaching his first recreation on the faculty degree. The curiosity issue of that most likely even topped what the Horned Frogs confronted after they opened up two years in the past in opposition to Colorado in Deion Sanders’ first FBS recreation. Nonetheless, for a staff coming off a nine-win season with most of its high expertise returning, the disrespect of being diminished to some random faceless opponent felt like a snub.
And, when the Tar Heels opened the sport with a powerful seven-play, 83-yard landing drive to go up 7-0, it felt just like the six-time Tremendous Bowl-winning head coach was going to work a few of his wizardry in opposition to his first faculty opponent. North Carolina did make that first drive look simple, and it solely ratcheted up the hype one other few notches. From that time on, although, the Horned Frogs systematically dismantled the whole lot Belichick and his staff tried to do, and Lazarus and his three-person crew have been able to rejoice all of it from their TCU Soccer X account with memes, one-liners and plenty of receipts.
Early on, the TCU Soccer feed despatched out posts praising their gamers for forcing a three-and-out on protection, after which for star QB Josh Hoover’s pinpoint TD move to Jordan Dwyer to tie the rating. However an hour later, after Bud Clark’s choose six, just a few subject objectives and an extended landing run, Lazarus began to lean into the vibe of the night. Just like the TCU scoreboard, which ran off 41 unanswered factors en path to a 48-14 victory, his posts got here in a flurry.
https://t.co/5vON5s7NKk pic.twitter.com/IMMghbe7TE
— TCU Soccer (@TCUFootball) September 2, 2025
Babe return to sleep. https://t.co/tyfK7iuELo
— TCU Soccer (@TCUFootball) September 2, 2025
when does episode one come out? https://t.co/ZOp6lUwgKF
— TCU Soccer (@TCUFootball) September 2, 2025
I suppose we’ll by no means know. https://t.co/40O9IeBxn7
— TCU Soccer (@TCUFootball) September 2, 2025
https://t.co/t3pgvduhnV pic.twitter.com/rSwVSeACq6
— TCU Soccer (@TCUFootball) September 2, 2025
Lazarus proceeded to zing everybody, from Skip Bayless to Colin Cowherd to the UNC Soccer account, earlier than the evening was over.
“TCU was the favourite within the recreation, however you most likely wouldn’t have recognized it beforehand,” Lazarus advised The Athletic on Tuesday. “Loads of that performed into how we approached it afterwards. We needed to play into the irony of the way it was all coated.”
Lazarus, who’s in his second season at TCU, beforehand labored for UCLA and Tulsa, his alma mater. He mentioned when he was employed at TCU, it was with the aim of showcasing the gamers and telling their tales.
A lot of what Lazarus and his staff posted from Chapel Hill was spur-of-the-moment stuff. Like his response to the Cowherd tweet that popped up proper after the Tar Heels’ opening drive, when the longtime TV host declared Belichick “the second finest faculty coach I’ve ever seen, slightly below Saban.”
https://t.co/hZ0EyBp88Z pic.twitter.com/hc1KV4LBqR
— TCU Soccer (@TCUFootball) September 2, 2025
Similar together with his dunk on the Skip Bayless tweet predicting that “TCU is about to get blown out. An excessive amount of MJ, LT. About to get Mossed.”
After all, none of these guys have been truly taking part in within the recreation. Somebody despatched that to Lazarus, and it didn’t take him lengthy to reply with the right meme of Bayless’ outdated colleague Stephen A. Smith laughing his head off.
“Simply figuring out the entire Skip-Stephen A. rivalry, that made excellent sense,” Lazarus mentioned.
https://t.co/3pbGVhu38k pic.twitter.com/GDeJQM0rR9
— TCU Soccer (@TCUFootball) September 2, 2025
Per week-old Carolina Soccer tweet with behind-the-scenes footage touting a docuseries on Belichick’s staff was one other simple goal. It would’ve felt like trolling when he responded with “when does episode one come out?” However Lazarus mentioned he’s genuinely curious to see that present. He additionally is aware of that’s not why the submit already has greater than 5 million views.
“It’s a bit of little bit of a joke, however there’s additionally a bit of little bit of seriousness in that you simply wish to see how they cowl it,” he mentioned.
For the evening, an excellent night for TCU, the Horned Frogs soccer X account has obtained greater than 17 million views. Not dangerous for a faculty that solely has round 13,000 college students, however that’s a part of the aim.
Thanks to all of the followers who got here out tonight! You made a distinction! #GoFrogs 🐸 #ForTheWinners pic.twitter.com/mxhQhIvLAk
— TCU Soccer (@TCUFootball) September 2, 2025
“We’re in a non-public faculty in a league with a whole lot of enormous faculties, UCF, ASU, Texas Tech is massive,” Lazarus mentioned. “We have now to get extra artistic with how we get consideration as a result of we don’t have that very same built-in fan base that some others have.”
When he enrolled in faculty, Lazarus, an enormous “Moneyball” fan, had visions of working for a Main League Baseball entrance workplace, however he ultimately switched to a advertising monitor. At one level, he thought he may go the athletic director path, however as he’s seen the evolution of the social and artistic facets of faculty athletic packages which have grown a lot, he’s discovered a distinct segment he loves.
“This half is simply a lot enjoyable,” he mentioned.
It certain was for TCU followers.
(Picture of Invoice Belichick shaking arms with TCU coach Sonny Dykes after Monday evening’s recreation: Bob Donnan / Imagn Pictures)
