Bill Belichick is officially the head football coach at the University of North Carolina, but what if a good NFL coaching job opened up between now and the start of next season?
Belichick was formally introduced Thursday at a press conference in Chapel Hill, and when asked about a potential return to the NFL, he replied, "I didn't come here to leave."
Belichick also said: "I've always wanted to coach in college football. It just never really worked out. Had some good years in the NFL, so that was OK. This is really kind of a dream come true. I grew up in college football with my dad. As a kid, all I knew was college football. It's great to come back home to Carolina, back to an environment I really grew up in."
The Athletic's Chris Vannini and Ralph D. Russo posted the details of Belichick's UNC contract to X, including the buyout number, bonus details and more.
Belichick's buyout is $10 million, but it drops to just $1 million on June 1, 2025. It's fair to assume all of the soon-to-be vacant NFL head coach jobs will be filled by next June, but at the same time, if he wanted to leave for the NFL, it wouldn't cost much for one of the 32 teams to pursue him.
Bill Belichick's buyout to leave is $10 million... until June 1, 2025, when it drops to $1 million.
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) December 12, 2024
So it will be easy for Belichick to go back to the NFL after one year if the opportunity presents itself. pic.twitter.com/rrvaMci3DC
There are a bunch of potential bonuses in Belichick's deal, including some for certain win totals, appearing and/or winning the ACC Championship Game, bowl appearances, and College Football Playoff appearances and wins.
Another interesting detail of the contract is that just the first three years are guaranteed.
Terms of Bill Belichick’s 5-year deal. The first three years of the deal are fully guaranteed.
— Ralph D. Russo (@ralphDrussoATH) December 12, 2024
The final two are not. pic.twitter.com/yTwJWBxURd
Belichick seemed genuinely excited Thursday about his opportunity to build something special at North Carolina. But it's hard to predict the future, and it's especially tough to predict which NFL coaching jobs might open up in the next year or two.
But right now, Belichick's focus is getting the Tar Heels back on track. This football program has only one bowl win and one 10-win season in the last 10 years.
