Bill Belichick is becoming a college football coach for the first time. It’s really happening.
North Carolina officially pulled off the stunning move on Wednesday night when it announced Belichick’s hiring to replace Mack Brown as the next Tar Heels‘ next football coach. This means the coach with a record six Super Bowls, who sits just 14 wins away from breaking Don Shula’s NFL record for all-time wins, will be roaming the sidelines in the ACC next fall, trying to guide North Carolina through a new era of college football that increasingly operates like the professional level Belichick is coming from.
“We know that college athletics is changing, and those changes require new and innovative thinking. Bill Belichick is a football legend, and hiring him to lead our program represents a new approach that will ensure Carolina football can evolve, compete and win – today and in the future,” UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham said in a statement.
The football world is buzzing over this decision and the reaction has been polarizing, with NFL and college football analysts weighing in on how and if Belichick, 72, can successfully transition from the professional ranks to college. There are also still plenty of details to iron out: Belichick’s contract must be formally approved by the Board of Trustees, there’s an introductory news conference Thursday afternoon, he needs to put together a staff, and he must maneuver through the recruiting trail and transfer portal for the first time.
We’ll be tracking what’s happening between Belichick and North Carolina throughout Thursday. Check back here for the latest updates on Belichick’s move to college football.
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BILL BELICHICK FALLOUT:Winners, losers now that NFL legend is becoming new North Carolina football coach
Belichick explained why, at 72 years old, he wants to keep coaching, and coaching at a level he’s never worked before, with a joke.
“It beats working,” Belichick cracked.
“I love what I do. I love coaching,” he added, noting how much he enjoys being around a team.
Bill Belichick has officially been introduced as the new North Carolina football coach by university chancellor Lee H. Roberts and athletic director Bubba Cunningham. Roberts presented Belichick with a custom sweatshirt with cut-off sleeves, then Cunningham put on a blazer with the sleeves cut off.
Belichick responded in kind to them, pulling out a North Carolina sweater his father wore when he was an assistant coach for the Tar Heels. Belichick noted he always wanted to coach in college and perhaps was destined to return to Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Belichick said he was always told, “Billy’s first words were ‘Beat Duke.’ “
We’ll hear from Bill Belichick shortly at his introductory press conference, but he is on campus at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Check back here for the best quotes and highlights as Belichick breaks down his decision to become North Carolina’s football coach.
Brian Belichick, who’s currently the safeties coach for the New England Patriots, spoke to reporters at a regularly scheduled media availability Thursday. After he got a laugh attempting to discuss the Patriots’ upcoming game against the Arizona Cardinals, Belichick’s younger son offered a hint into the Belichick family’s reaction to Bill Belichick’s decision to become North Carolina’s football coach.
“I’m really happy for my dad. I think a lot of people were excited, including him, and it’s going to be fun to watch,” Brian Belichick said. “He loves coaching football. That’s what he should be doing.”
Bill Belichick might be the most unorthodox college football coaching hire since Deion Sanders went from high school to Jackson State to Colorado. So Belichick’s hiring at North Carolina got the social media version of a thumbs up on Thursday from Coach Prime, whose template produced a 9-3 season in year two with the Buffaloes this season.
The partnership between Bill Belichick and North Carolina football cleared one more hurdle Thursday morning when the university’s Board of Trustees approved Belichick’s contract at an emergency meeting attended by multiple reporters in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It was considered a formality after Wednesday’s announcement, but approval was nonetheless needed to move forward.
The details of the deal beyond the $50 million over five seasons North Carolina will reportedly pay Belichick are especially intriguing after the two sides spent the past couple days negotiating over NIL money and staffing.
North Carolina announced that it will hold an introductory news conference for Belichick on Thursday at 2 p.m. ET. It will be broadcast live on the ACC Network.
Belichick spoke in general terms about running a college football program during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Monday, but he has otherwise not talked extensively about his interest and plans for the North Carolina job.
“I grew up around college football with my Dad and treasured those times,” Belichick said in a statement Wednesday. “I have always wanted to coach in college and now I look forward to building the football program in Chapel Hill.”
A familiar face will be reuniting with Belichick with North Carolina football. Michael Lombardi, a former NFL general manager who worked with Belichick in New England, announced he is leaving his job as a media analyst at VSiN to become North Carolina’s general manager.
Financial details were not revealed by the school, but UNC said in its press release Wednesday night that Belichick had agreed to a five-year deal “pending approval by the University’s Board of Trustees and Board of Governors.”
Per The Athletic, he’s agreed to a $50 million deal.
BILL BELICHICK CONTRACT DETAILS:Contract length, salary for new North Carolina football coach
Bill Belichick won an NFL-record six Super Bowls over 24 seasons as the New England Patriots coach, including two different stretches during which he won the Super Bowl three times in four years. Belichick made nine Super Bowl appearances overall with the Patriots.
Belichick began his head coaching career with the Cleveland Browns in 1991 after rising up the ranks as the defensive coordinator of the New York Giants under former coach Bill Parcells. Belichick was fired by the Browns in 1995 and rejoined Parcells as an assistant coach with the New England Patriots and New York Jets. He was briefly named the Jets’ head coach ahead of the 2000 season but resigned from the job at what was supposed to be his introductory news conference and soon became the Patriots’ head coach through the 2023 season.
Here’s a look at Belichick’s record as an NFL coach:
Bill Belichick is 72 years old. He will turn 73 on April 16 and will be the oldest Football Bowl Subdivision head coach in the country when the 2025 college football season begins. Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz is the second-oldest coach in the country at 69 years old.
Belichick graduated in 1973 from Wesleyan College in Middletown, Connecticut, where he played tight end and offensive line for the football team. He also lettered in squash and lacrosse as a college athlete. He was part of the inaugural class inducted into the Wesleyan College athletics hall of fame.
