Belichick’s UNC Deal Contains Clause That Keeps NFL Speculation Alive

Bill Belichick’s North Carolina contract has one interesting wrinkle that may keep speculation about him returning to the NFL alive, despite his own words shooting that very idea down.

First things first: Belichick’s deal is for five years through December 2029 and will pay him $10 million annually in base salary and supplement income. The first three years are guaranteed, but the final two are not, effectively making it a three-year, $30 million contract, if UNC wants out within the next 36 months.

But Belichick’s buyout terms are not exactly what you typically find in most college football coaching contracts. 

If Belichick terminates the deal without cause (for example, if he wanted to leave for an NFL job) before June 1, 2025, UNC will be owed $10 million. However, that amount drops to just $1 million if Belichick leaves on or after June 1, 2025. 

At his introductory press conference Thursday, Belichick said he “didn’t come here to leave” when asked whether he would consider returning to the NFL if he is successful with the Tar Heels. “I feel like doing it for a long time,” Belichick, 72, said of his desire to continue coaching. He also called coaching in college a “dream come true.”

Notably, back in 2000, Belichick agreed to become the Jets head coach for one day. He stepped down just before his introductory press conference in New York so he could take the Patriots job.

Only one of the seven NFL teams outside of the Patriots looking for new head coaches last offseason—the Falcons—interviewed Belichick for the job. The six-time Super Bowl–winning head coach was thought to have been interested in finding a new NFL job during this next hiring cycle before making the shocking move to UNC.

Aside from the unique buyout details that will certainly keep Belichick’s name in the NFL zeitgeist, his UNC deal, which is public record, has some other interesting perks:

• The ability to earn up to an additional $3.5 million each year in performance incentives
• A courtesy car and membership to Chapel Hill Country Club (initiation costs between $10,000 and $25,000, annual dues are between $5,000 and $10,000)
• A $16.3 million annual budget for assistant coaches, strength and conditioning staff, and support staff, including the new GM role
• $13 million in annual revenue sharing dedicated to the football team

That last note is key, as it provides a look into how a Power 4 program plans to allocate funds under the NCAA’s new revenue-sharing model that should begin in 2025. Each school will likely be allowed to pay up to about $22 million total per year to all of the athletes in their departments. For UNC—traditionally a men’s basketball powerhouse—it looks like more than half of that is planned to go to football.

On the GM front, Belichick’s contract also contains language specifying that he can hire someone for the role to a deal that matches the length of Belichick’s and has a compensation level that doesn’t exceed $1.5 million per year. Belichick’s former NFL colleague Michael Lombardi has agreed to become GM, but his contract hasn’t been made public yet.