Based on size alone, the Belmont Hill football player committing to play for the University of North Carolina was an obvious choice for a Division I football program.
On a preseason Saturday morning practice, number 78 Nick Fiumara stands out. At 6-foot-5 and 295 pounds, the senior lineman is the biggest player on the Sextants this fall, one who looks the part of a recruit sought by legendary former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick in the infancy of his college coaching tenure. For a Foxborough native, connecting with the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach is a dream come true.
“He knew that my mom (Kristen) is a teacher and that my dad (Joe) is in sales,” Fiumara said. “He takes a strong interest in all of his players and recruits’ personal lives, which was pretty cool for me that Bill Belichick, the greatest of all time, knows where I live.”
Fiumara, whose nickname is “Moose,” enrolled at Belmont Hill in seventh grade. College coaches started showing interest in him in eighth grade and freshman year, his first year on the varsity. His first offer came as a sophomore.
The middle child of three brothers, Fiumara followed in the footsteps of his older brother, Peter, now a sophomore offensive lineman at Stonehill College. The youngest brother, Jake, is a seventh grader at Belmont Hill.
Fiumara fits the middle child stereotype demeanor. He’s easygoing and quiet everywhere but on the football field.
A consensus three-star recruit, Fiumara committed to North Carolina in June. He chose the Tar Heels over two dozen other suitors, including Duke, Maryland, the service academies, and a handful of Ivy League programs.
UNC’s old staff recruited Fiumara, but Mac Brown’s firing last year curbed the potential. Only when a new UNC assistant coach attended Belmont Hill’s one-day showcase this past spring did the program rediscover, and then re-recruit, Fiumara.
“I think every staff always has a little bit of trouble when they first get there because you lose the [recruiting] database,” said Belmont Hill coach Anthony Fucillo, who is no stranger to both sides of recruiting, having spent more than a decade as a college assistant coach, including seven years at Harvard. For them, it was really like, ‘Hey, who is this kid?’ We haven’t really been on him.”
Fiumara mostly connects with UNC’s offensive line coach, Randy Clements, and the program’s recruiting staff. Fiumara first met Belichick face-to-face during his official visit in June, when the scholarship offer came. He committed shortly after.
Alex Agrella, who covers local prospects as the owner of Recruiting Board, described Fiumara as one of the most impressive offensive line prospects he’s seen in recent years.
“He’s the total package: huge, strong, athletic, can move, and nasty,” Agrella said. “His mentality in the trenches is one you really can’t teach linemen, you either have it or you don’t. For his size, he moves well, has great stamina, and consistently controls the trenches.”
On the official visit, John Fiumara asked Belichick and UNC General Manager Micheal Lombardi about coaching Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman. After some Patriots-related small talk, Belichick got down to business.
“You could tell that Belichick really wanted to get to me and recruiting, but he’s open to talking about [the Patriots],” Fiumara said. “In the buildup, I was trying not to be fanboyish.”
There were no Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) discussions, which is often the pervasive topic in college sports. Unfortunately for Fiumara’s friends, who often ask him to FaceTime Belichick, he doesn’t have his direct number. At least not yet.
Fiumara plans to closely watch UNC this fall and attend the Nov. 22 home game against Duke. Former Belmont Hill teammates Tommy Rupley and Sampson Onuoha play for the Blue Devils.
With the recruitment process over, Fiumara is focused on showcasing a strong on-field performance and displaying leadership attributes.
“Physicality is not a problem with him,” said Fucillo, who also coaches junior varsity baseball and serves as an assistant athletic director at Belmont Hill. “He does things right. He’s there on time every day. He leads by example a lot, and I think he can definitely develop more of a vocal style now that he’s in a captain role.”
A future business major with interests in commercial real estate and venture capital, Fiumara puts pen to paper on his UNC decision in December. He’ll report to Chapel Hill shortly after graduating from Belmont Hill, playing for the coach he always rooted for.
“Growing up in Foxborough, it’s not like I ever thought I’d be able to meet Bill Belichick, let alone be coached by him,” Fiumara said.