After the University of North Carolina fired Mack Brown as its football head coach, the school began the hunt for his replacement. Many college football fans likely didn't imagine the Tar Heels would choose Bill Belichick as the new man in charge. Even former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said the news "kind of blew me away."
The Tar Heels and Belichick agreed to a five-year, $50 million deal. It's his first foray into college coaching after nearly 50 years in the NFL across various roles.
Belichick spent 24 seasons coaching the New England Patriots. Under his watch, the Patriots won 17 AFC East titles, reached nine Super Bowls, and won six championships. Belichick retired in 2023, and it seemed like he was riding off into the sunset. That retirement lasted only one season—and his new contract has a few interesting details.
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The first three years of Belichick's deal are guaranteed, with $1 million in salary and $9 million in supplemental income. The collective $10 million is twice what Brown was making.
Belichick's buyout is $10 million, but that number drops to $1 million if Belichick leaves after June 1, 2025. If an NFL team is still looking for a head coach by then, could Belichick jump ship before the Tar Heels even play a game under his watch?
According to the man himself, it's not likely. During his introductory press conference, he said, "I didn't come here to leave," and added, "I have always wanted to coach in college, and now, I look forward to building the football program at Chapel Hill."
One other thing worth watching is whether Belichick hires his son, Stephen. The younger Belichick was on the Patriots' coaching staff from 2012 to 2023; he took the defensive coordinator job with the Washington Huskies after Bill retired.
While no move has been made, there are rumors that the 72-year-old Belichick would hire his son onto the UNC staff so he would be in a position to take over as head coach when the elder Belichick retires.
In the meantime, Belichick indicated he plans to run the Tar Heels like an NFL team. If that means regularly contending for championships, UNC will be perfectly satisfied with his approach.
