Bill Belichick agreed to sign on as the head coach of the University of North Carolina’s football team over a month ago. Still, he dragged his feet on signing his contract, igniting speculation that he could be eyeing a job in the NFL.
Those rumors should be quelled (for now) with the recent news that Belichick finally signed his UNC contract. The details have been released, and the legendary head coach will be rewarded handsomely for his efforts.
Bill Belichick’s UNC Contract Details Revealed
We’ve known that Belichick’s contract would be a five-year deal at a rate of roughly $10 million per season, but we now know that only the first three years are guaranteed.
Belichick will be one of eight coaches making at least $10 million per season in the collegiate ranks, joining Kirby Smart (Georgia), Dabo Swinney (Clemson), Steve Sarkisian (Texas), Lincoln Riley (USC), Ryan Day (Ohio State), Mike Norvell (Florida State), and Kalen DeBoer (Alabama).
He also gets incentives for regular season, intra-conference, and postseason performances. The most significant piece of his incentive structure is the team’s postseason performance. Belichick will be rewarded $200,000 for an ACC Championship Game appearance and an additional $300,000 if the Tar Heels win. He can also make up to $1.75 million if they win a College Football Playoff National Championship.
Since joining the ACC in 1953, the team has won five conference championships, with the most recent title coming in 1980. North Carolina has never won a national championship nor has it ever appeared in a title game.
Bill Belichick's UNC Contract
Postseason
(non-cumulative)
Non-CFP Bowl: $150k
Elite Bowl: $350k
CFP Berth: $750k
CFP Quarters: $1M
CFP Semis: $1.25M
CFP Championship: $1.5M
Champion: $1.75MRankings
(non-cumulative)
Top 25: $250k
20: $300k
15: $375k
10: $425k
5: $500k2/3
— Spotrac (@spotrac) January 23, 2025
Perhaps the most intriguing part of Belichick’s contract is the buyout.
If the head coach leaves before June 1, 2025, he and/or whatever team he signs with will have to pay the Tar Heels a combined $10 million to void his contract with North Carolina. If he leaves after that date, the buyout total drops to just $1 million.
Some fans will question why June 1 was chosen as the buyout threshold date, especially since that’s just over four months from the time Belichick signed his contract.
Considering that just four head coach openings remain at the NFL level — and only the Dallas Cowboys have been rumored in the past as a suitor for Belichick — it’s unlikely that he’ll bolt for the pros before even coaching a single year at UNC.
That date is the same as a key date for the cut and trade designation deadline. If teams want to spread a player’s dead cap hit out over the 2025 and 2026 seasons, they must do so before then.
That means teams will need to have their cap sheets in order by then, especially considering June 1 comes after both (the meat of) free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft. By the time Belichick builds up a recruiting class, every NFL team will mostly have their coaching staff and rosters set for the 2025 season.
Hence, that buyout effectively ensures the legendary head coach will stick around for at least one season in North Carolina. He’ll have his work cut out for him, as the team finished 6-7 (3-5 in the ACC) in its first year after quarterback Drake Maye left for the NFL.