CHAPEL HILL — UNC football is making a big-time investment in Bill Belichick, who was introduced on Thursday as the Tar Heels’ next head coach.
Shortly after Belichick participated in his first press conference at Kenan Stadium, details of the 72-year-old coach’s contract were released by the university. The term sheet shows North Carolina’s commitment to spending money that puts its football coaching staff among the top-10 programs in the sport.
Belichick, who won six Super Bowl championships as head coach of the NFL’s New England Patriots, has agreed to a five-year deal, worth $10 million annually, through December 2029. The first three years are guaranteed.
Here’s a breakdown of what stands out about Belichick’s contract with the Tar Heels.
Bill Belichick’s buyout to leave UNC
The most eye-popping detail of Belichick’s contract is the buyout, which is $10 million until June 1, 2025. That’s when it drops to $1 million, raising questions about Belichick’s long-term plans in college football with the NFL all-time wins record still looming over his career. It could also prove to be a problem on the recruiting trail, with opposing coaches using Belichick’s short-term contract against UNC. Still, Belichick said several times during his introductory press conference that he “didn’t come here to leave.” He’ll be 73 when the 2025 season kicks off.
Bill Belichick’s contract compared to Mack Brown’s contract at UNC, other college football coaches
Belichick’s annual pay is double what former UNC coach Mack Brown was paid ($5 million annually). As it stands, according to the USA TODAY Sports annual salaries database, Belichick would be the sixth-highest paid college football coach at a public university for the 2025 season. Clemson’s Dabo Swinney and Florida State’s Mike Norvell are ahead of Belichick, as are three SEC coaches: Kirby Smart (Georgia), Kalen DeBoer (Alabama) and Steve Sarkisian (Texas).
Bill Belichick’s coaching staff, support staff salary pool
Belichick’s deal also looks out for his assistant coaches, with a staff salary pool of $10 million. Support staff is slated to be a $5.3 million investment and the strength staff gets $1 million, according to the contract. Former NFL executive Michael Lombardi, who is set to join Belichick as UNC’s general manager, is included in the support staff.
What does Bill Belichick’s contract say about what UNC football players will be paid?
Revenue sharing is coming into play with the upcoming House v. NCAA settlement, which will allow schools to pay athletes up to around $20 million for their NIL rights. Belichick’s contract says UNC will pay $13 million to football players, with other sports presumably set to receive the rest of that money.
Bonuses in Bill Belichick’s contract
Belichick’s deal includes the possibility of getting $3.5 million annually in bonuses.
If UNC plays in a non-College Football Playoff bowl game, $150,000 would be paid. If the Tar Heels win the ACC championship and make the College Football Playoff, that would be a combined bonus of just over $1 million. So, what if UNC wins the CFP national championship? That would mean a $1.75 million.
If the Tar Heels have an annual 2.7 GPA, Belichick gets $50,000. If UNC’s NCAA Academic Progress Rate is between 950-969, that brings $100,000 into play. Belichick’s contract also includes a $100,000 expense account.
Bill Belichick’s courtesy car and golf club membership
In addition to the money, Belichick will receive a courtesy car and membership at Chapel Hill Country Club.
Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to rbaxley@fayobserver.com.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Bill Belichick contract, salary with UNC football and Tar Heels
