Bill Belichick said he “didn’t come here to leave” when he was introduced to North Carolina, but his contract certainly gives him the option.
Hours after the legendary New England Patriots coach was unveiled as the Tar Heels’ next head coach, details about his contract have begun to leak, and there’s one that could be of great interest to NFL owners.
Per Chris Vannini of The Athletic , Belichick’s contract has a $10 million buyout until June 1, 2025, when it drops to $1 million, which is basically what any NFL team would be willing to pay if they wanted to hire him. The milestone comes about three months before Belichick is scheduled to debut at Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill.
June 1 is well past the end of the NFL practice cycle, so UNC probably doesn’t have too much to worry about losing its enormous staff before the debut, unless the team loses its coach due to unforeseen circumstances sometime during the summer. Still, the small buyout is more of a sign that he isn’t ruling out a return to the NFL than anything he said at Thursday’s news conference.
The bigger question, of course, is whether any NFL team will want him. The answer was “no” last cycle, though that question was only really asked of the Atlanta Falcons, the only team that interviewed him last season.
Belichick has more of an NFL resume than any coach in existence, but he too enters the 2025 season at age 73, four years since his last winning season and seven years since his last Super Bowl title. Tom Brady isn’t walking through the door with him either.
As for the rest of Belichick’s contract, it’s technically a five-year deal that will pay the coach $10 million a year, but the fourth and fifth years are not guaranteed. It also includes $3.5 million in annual bonuses for reaching certain win totals and finishing in the College Football Playoff.
UNC will reportedly pay $13 million to players through revenue sharing, with a $10 million payroll for assistant coaches. If Belichick makes the jump to the NFL, it won’t be for a lack of investment by the Tar Heels relevant to their peers.