Which team will legendary NFL head coach Bill Belichick lead next season? This remains a compelling storyline nearly a year after he ended his tenure with the New England Patriots and didn’t get hired during the NFL’s last hiring cycle. While he is arguably the greatest coach in NFL history, with six Super Bowls to his name, Belichick is thriving in the media space.
Belichick has won over fans with his analysis on ESPN’s “ManningCast” and “The Pat McAfee Show,” while also hosting his own podcast with Underdog Sports. However, Belichick’s end goal is to pick up the clipboard again. While teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants, and Dallas Cowboys have been mentioned as potential suitors, one team is starting to gain some steam.
North Carolina-Bill Belichick Talks Escalate
Despite his prolific NFL tenure, the team garnering the most attention is a member of the college football circuit: the North Carolina Tar Heels. Home to a different GOAT in Michael Jordan, UNC felt like a rather peculiar pick for the next stop in the Bill Belichick tour. But now, after a viral Pat McAfee appearance where Belichick confirmed his talks with the school, the possibility is far more real.
Further, according to the latest reports, if UNC agrees to his conditions, Belichick will become the next coach in Chapel Hill. But there are quite literally hundreds of conditions.
Belichick is known for his hard attitude and tough exterior. Even his players would speak about their fear of the defensive-minded head coach. However, his attention to detail is also the stuff of legend.
It is what made the Patriots a fourth-quarter nightmare and one of the winningest teams ever in one-score games. Now, that same attention to detail is impacting his negotiations with UNC, too.
Update: Belichick has agreed to become the next UNC coach. Belichick handed the school a 400 page “organizational bible” with structure, payment plans, staffing choices etc. decisions on whether to commit with UNC. He is expected to know their decision within 24 hours https://t.co/DAV2yX9Mn5
— Ollie Connolly (@OllieConnolly) December 10, 2024
Belichick presented UNC with a 400-page “organizational bible” highlighting how he’d run the program and what specific resources he would need.
In this detailed manual, Belichick has laid the groundwork for UNC’s new operating model. From payment plans to staffing choices, Belichick would direct every aspect of football life in North Carolina with the goal of turning the school into the nation’s top pipeline to the NFL. This would completely “overhaul the school’s approach to football.”
The first demand is a bit nepotistic — his son, Stephen Belichick, should serve as the school’s head coach in waiting. With Mack Brown being let go after nearly 12 years with the organization, the school needs a gigantic rebound. However, the demands don’t end there.
MORE: New 2025 NFL Mock Draft: Massive Round 1 Trade Shakes Up Landscape
The “bible” ensures that North Carolina would be investing at a previously unprecedented rate. Numbers like salary minimums for positions and two separate coaching staffs are all part of the plan. One staff would coach alongside Belichick, while the other would recruit alongside the college GM. And Belichick prefers a sitting college GM, who would require a buyout.
This is what has been reported thus far, but there are other conditions as well. Will the school accept Belichick’s list of demands? An answer is expected within the next 24 hours. The two sides are having ongoing talks, and it’s unclear whether Belichick is willing to budge on any of his requests.
The AD, Chancellor, and trustees must sign off on the agreement, so it remains to be seen if the two sides will reach an agreement. Already, there are rumblings that certain trustees are pushing back on the lengthy list of demands and the associated costs.
As of right now, there is no agreement between Bill Belichick and the University of North Carolina, per multiple sources.
Both sides have remained in contact and will continue to talk. “VERY fluid,” one source said. pic.twitter.com/8bavRSvGhS
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) December 10, 2024
So far, there’s no deal in place, and nothing is imminent. The demands from Belichick are rather steep, so the serious talks could fall through.
Belichick is the second-winningest coach in NFL history with 333 wins. Also, he holds the NFL coaching record for Super Bowl victories (eight), Super Bowl appearances (12), postseason wins (31), and division titles (17).
He is a three-time NFL Coach of the Year (2003, 2007, and 2010) and former Executive of the Year (2021). He’s also a member of the NFL’s 2000s and 2010s All-Decade Team and 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.
Now, all eyes will be on North Carolina to see if they give in and make the biggest coaching change in college football since Deion Sanders to Colorado — or maybe, ever.
