Meet the Guy Who Trolled Football Coaching GOAT Bill Belichick

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Following Texas Christian University’s (TCU) impressive 48-14 victory over the North Carolina Tarheels, televised nationally during Labor Day prime time, Bill Belichick‘s highly anticipated college coaching debut was spoiled. Meanwhile, Sam Lazarus, TCU football team’s creative media director, found himself scrolling through saved tweets on the team bus in the days leading up to the game. The coverage had been heavily biased, with Belichick being hyped as North Carolina’s potential savior, while TCU – a team that reached the National Championship following the 2022 season – was largely overlooked. Lazarus, who manages the @TCUFootball account on X, remarked, “The benefit and downside of working in social media is that I spend a lot of time on social media myself. So I keep track of everything.

20 AM, Lazarus posted a tweet from the North Carolina football account, promoting an upcoming Hulu documentary on their team. He asked, “When does episode one release?

A laughter GIF from sports commentator Stephen A. Smith was added to Skip Bayless’ tweet predicting a landslide victory for North Carolina, shortly after. Later, Lazarus shared an observation from Twitter account X (@Boorish_Sports) dated August 30th. This post highlighted the struggles faced by Texas quarterback Arch Manning against Ohio State’s defensive strategies, devised by defensive coordinator Matt Patricia-a former assistant of Bill Belichick with the New England Patriots during their game on August 30, which ended with a score of 14-7 in favor of Ohio State. @Boorish_Sports then jokingly questioned what might happen to Arch Manning under the coaching of Bill Belichick at TCU, writing, “If Matt Patricia has Arch Manning in trouble, what do we think Bill Belichick will do to the poor kid at TCU?

The TCU quarterback, Josh Hoover, managed to complete 27 out of his 36 pass attempts for a total of 284 yards and threw two touchdowns. However, as Lazarus put it, “It seems we may never fully understand” the impact of this performance.

In about six minutes, Lazarus unexpectedly posted on social media, creating quite a stir the next day that rivaled or even surpassed TCU’s actual football performance on the field. These four popular posts, aimed at teasing Belichick’s grandeur, received approximately 225,000 likes and were reposted over 11,000 times. Notably, they were featured by media outlets like Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, and USA Today. Following these posts, the TCU Football X account shared a video compiled by Lazarus’ team, combining news clips praising Belichick and the Heels with highlights of TCU’s victory and players celebrating after the game. In his post accompanying the video, Lazarus wrote, “This is a player’s game,” further challenging Belichick’s overrated reputation in college football.

Even the well-known sports media personality Pat McAfee acknowledged TCU Football’s posts on his ESPN and YouTube show. McAfee complimented, “Well done, social media team,” as he applauded.

For Lazarus, a 32-year-old native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, it was an enjoyable night. Contrary to popular belief, he claims he wasn’t a jokester in his youth. Instead, he jokes, he may have had a dry sense of humor. It might come as a shock that the shrewd Belichick troll at TCU is actually a mature millennial. “Many people presume that a Gen-Z intern is managing social media,” Lazarus explains. “The common response when something performs well on social media is ‘Give the intern a raise.’ However, it’s important to note that across all big companies and sports teams, social media is likely being managed by a team of people, some of whom are older and more experienced.

Under the leadership of coach Sonny Dykes, who joined the team in 2021, the football squad has intentionally adopted an edgy and meme-focused approach on social media. Compared to other power football teams, TCU’s student body, numbering around 11,000, is relatively small. For instance, Oklahoma boasts over 22,000 undergraduates, while North Carolina has approximately 20,000. As Lazarus explains, “We’re competing for attention with everyone else, but we’re effectively at a disadvantage due to our smaller fan base. Therefore, leveraging the spotlight and capitalizing on key moments is extremely advantageous.

Lazarus has carved out a unique career path in sports, particularly football, that didn’t previously exist. Since 2019, he’s worked in the football departments of his former universities Tulsa, UCLA, and most recently, TCU, where he started in 2024, managing social media for each program. Similar to college coaches, social media specialists climb up the industry ladder, and given the current era where increased visibility can lead to more revenues, sponsorships, and ultimately, greater earnings for athletes and recruits in a highly competitive market, Lazarus and his peers are highly valued. TCU’s general manager, Ryan Dorchester, led the recruitment effort to hire Lazarus, with Dykes himself conducting the final interview. Unlike some coaches, Lazarus didn’t need to seek approval for his Belichick-like strategies from anyone within the program or the school.

Lazarus remarks, “We’ve taken action on it.” He believes this decision stems from the strong trust established among them. Everyone is fully committed and in agreement, which gives them more flexibility. This feeling comes from years of experience, allowing him to recognize boundaries clearly.

Instead, it’s important to note that TCU Football refrained from making light of Coach Belichick’s romantic situation with Jordon Hudson, leaving such discussions for the wider public sphere.

When coaches excel like Lazarus did on Monday, they become a target for other teams eager to recruit them, usually offering a significant increase in salary. However, he maintains his contentment and has no intention of leaving. “The unity between the staff, the administration, and everyone here is so strong that it’s one of those environments where the job just seems effortless,” Lazarus explains. “It’s not common to find such harmony.

Lazarus points out that while he worked in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2021, the Oklahoma head coach, Lincoln Riley, left unexpectedly for USC the following day, despite earlier denying rumors of his departure.

North Carolina and TCU will face off again next season, this time in Dublin. Lazarus finds solace knowing that his witty trash-talking will serve as additional motivation for Belichick and the team in the upcoming season. “It’s just part of the sport,” he explains. “When you win, it’s fun to brag, but when you lose, it’s the other team’s turn to celebrate. If no one’s talking about you after a loss, that might mean you’re not doing so well, don’t you think? You want to be the team that people are enjoying defeating.

As a fervent fan, I’m often asked about Lazarus’ feelings towards TCU’s prospects in Ireland. Yet, when queried, he modestly replies, “I am solely concentrating on the upcoming match.

It seems that even those handling social media are starting to use jargon-filled language. Tomorrow, he’s flying to the University of Southern California.

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2025-09-03 06:06