Bill Belichick’s duties as North Carolina’s head coach forced him to miss Rob Gronkowski’s induction into the New England Patriots Hall of Fame — but the 74-year-old more than made up for his absence.

On Saturday, numerous Patriots icons returned to Foxborough to celebrate Gronkowski's incredible achievement, with Tom Brady insisting that he couldn’t miss his longtime teammate’s big day. Yet Belichick was a notable no-show at Patriot Place Plaza, as the induction coincided with North Carolina’s matchup against UConn in East Hartford.

Once the Tar Heels put the finishing touches on a 38-21 victory over the Huskies, Belichick jumped in the car to join Gronkowski and many of his former players for a team dinner at Davio’s Steakhouse.

Belichick additionally made sure to give Gronkowski his flowers while speaking to reporters immediately following North Carolina’s much-needed win. After being selected by the Patriots in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft, the star tight end accumulated 521 receptions for 7,861 yards and 79 touchdowns during the regular season.

Gronkowski continued to impress in the postseason, hauling in 81 catches for 1,163 yards and 12 touchdowns with New England.

"[He] was the best tight end in football during his time and one of the best of all time," Belichick said of Gronkowski. "[I'm] proud of Rob and what he's accomplished. He came a long, long way from barely playing in college in Arizona.

“Credit to him, his work ethic, his toughness and his dependability. I mean, it's a hard position to play but he excelled at it for a long time."

"Wouldn't have won as many games as I did without him, I can tell you that. He's a big part of it," Belichick added.

One day earlier, Gronkowski additionally offered Belichick his due praise. The decorated head coach achieved no shortage of success during his 24-season tenure with the Patriots, amassing six Super Bowl titles, nine conference championships, 31 playoff wins and a sparkling 333-178 record from 2000-2023.

“He played a tremendous role in who I am as a player,” Gronkowski said of Belichick. “I really loved the way he challenged me.

“He’s the best football coach I’ve ever seen in my life, that I’ve ever been a part of as well. ... I thank him for that, and I wouldn’t be here without him.”

Belichick was far from the only big name who couldn’t make Gronkowski’s induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame. In an interview with ESPN on Thursday, Patriots owner Robert Kraft disclosed that he would be unable to attend the ceremony following back surgery.

The 85-year-old joked that he is presently "on injured reserve" while recuperating from the operation, with physicians recommending he remain off his feet.

"As much pain as I was in before having surgery, it pains me even more to miss the ceremony," Kraft said.