Now that Bill Belichick has signed on the dotted line to become the 35th head coach in North Carolina football history, the Tar Heels have announced a release. Details above the line.
One in particular is causing concern.
If the second-winningest coach in NFL history decides to leave his post in Chapel Hill just before or after his first season, the fine would be just $1 million.
The rule will take effect next June 1, about two months before the 2025 college football season begins.
The term sheet also states that if Belichick, 72, leaves office before June 1, 2025, the cost would be even higher, at $10 million.
The head coach's five-year contract will reach that amount annually, with $10 million guaranteed from 2025 to 2027. The final two years of the contract are not guaranteed.
Belichick has put his pen in motion, becoming the highest-paid state employee in North Carolina history.
While the industry continues to dissect the details of that contract and theorize about how many pro seasons the coach will need to win 15 more times and break Don Shula's all-time record, Belichick said Chapel Hill will be the best choice for Pitt. He claims that it is not a stop.
“I didn't come here to leave,” the six-time Super Bowl champion said at his inaugural press conference Thursday. “I always wanted to coach college football…this is a dream come true.”
Belichick's “dream” is an obvious boon for a Tar Heels football program that hasn't won an ACC title since 1980. And UNC is ready to ride his wave.
As part of the deal, the university has committed about $13 million in “revenue sharing,” which could become part of the school's name, image and likeness rights (NIL) pool.
The program would increase the NIL budget from $4 million to $20 million. by USA Today.
For Belichick, that one-time money will go a long way toward acquiring a player who can promote Tar Heel football nationally. Maybe even a national championship.
And with one of the best minds in the game behind the bench, UNC hopes to be a pipeline to a league that rivals the Georgia and Alabama universities of the world.
But by the time those kids get into the building, could Belichick already be out the door?
Lawrence Taylor, who earned All-American honors at UNC and played for Belichick when he was the Giants' defensive coach, says the manager's record for wins by such a close margin has nothing to do with the newest Tar Heel.
Time will tell.
