This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy. It was also updated with new information.
A potential move that had been breathlessly discussed for days finally came to fruition Wednesday.
Bill Belichick, the NFL coaching legend and perennial Super Bowl champion, is going to be the next head football coach at North Carolina.
The former New England Patriots coach finalized a deal Wednesday with the Tar Heels, with the university confirming the news. He replaces the recently fired Mack Brown.
REQUIRED READING:Bill Belichick expected to be hired as North Carolina football coach | Reports
The marriage between Belichick and North Carolina will be one of the most fascinating and audacious experiments in modern college football history. Belichick has never coached at the college level in an official capacity, having spent the entirety of his nearly 50-year coaching career in the NFL.
Still, he’ll arrive in Chapel Hill with a resume that stands up against any coach in the history of professional football. In 24 seasons with the Patriots, he led the once-woeful franchise to six Super Bowl championships and nine AFC titles. His six Super Bowls are the most of any coach in NFL history and his 333 career wins put him only 14 victories behind Don Shula, the league’s all-time winningest coach.
As Belichick embarks on a new chapter in his career after resigning in New England in January, here’s a look at some of the financial incentives that await him at North Carolina, including contract details:
Belichick’s deal with North Carolina was expected to be for three years and $30 million, according to a report Wednesday from The Athletic. However, per the school’s release, the deal will actually be for five years. The Athletic later clarified it would be for $50 million, maintaining the $10 million AAV.
It’s not the only hefty financial investment the Tar Heels are putting into their football program.
According to USA TODAY Network’s Matt Hayes, North Carolina committed to increasing its name, image and likeness package for football from $4 million to $20 million as part of its effort to land Belichick.
REQUIRED READING:NC State’s CJ Bailey sounds off on possibly playing Bill Belichick-led UNC Tar Heels
According to a contract obtained by the USA Today Network, if Belichick is fired or leaves for another job (such as the NFL) before June 1, 2025, his buyout at UNC would be $10 million. If either of those things happened after June 1, 2025, his buyout cost would be $1 million.
Belichick’s AAV of $10 million puts him with some of the biggest names in the sport. It ties him with Florida State’s Mike Norvell and Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer, while putting him in the ballpark of Ohio State’s Ryan Day and Texas’ Steve Sarkisian.
Here’s a look at the 10 highest-paid college football coaches from 2024:
USA Today’s Steve Berkowitz contributed to this report
