Bill Belichick’s contract details at the University of North Carolina: How much would it cost UNC to buy out his contract?
Belichick has endured a bad start to his tenure as head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels, where he earns an eight-figure annual salary.
After an unhappy start to his tenure as North Carolina head coach, Bill Belichick’s management of the Tar Heels is already being described as a “mess”, as the six-time Super Bowl winner reels from back-to-back defeats.
How much is Belichick paid at UNC?
The most decorated coach in the NFL’s Super Bowl era, Belichick took on his first ever job in college football when he was appointed as the Tar Heels’ head coach in December. The 73-year-old signed a five-year deal worth a guaranteed $10 million a year, placing him among the college game’s highest-paid coaches.
Belichick’s contract, which has been published online by the University of North Carolina (UNC), also includes a series of incentivized add-ons, including a $1.75 million payout if he leads the Tar Heels to the national championship.
At present, however, Belichick appears unlikely to collect such a bonus. Under the former New England Patriots boss, North Carolina is 2-3 in the 2025 college football’s regular season, after consecutive blowout defeats.
The Tar Heels were thumped 34-9 by the UCF Knights on September 20, before enduring a 38-10 defeat to the California Golden Bears on Saturday.
Two days after the Tar Heels’ annihilation by the Golden Bears, the North Carolina media outlet WRAL News published an explosive report on Belichick’s stewardship of the university’s football program. “It’s an unstructured mess,” an insider told WRAL. “There’s no culture, no organization. It’s a complete disaster.”
Another source - an anonymous parent of a current North Carolina player - described a “toxic environment” within the program.
“It’s all starting at the top, and the boys are being affected,” the parent told WRAL. “I don’t fault the players; I fault the leadership that created this toxic environment. There’s an individualistic mindset. The boys are young, and they are feeding into it.”
How much would it cost UNC to fire Belichick?
Were UNC to fire Belichick at any point in the first three years of his contract, the university would have to pay him his guaranteed salary in full up to the end of 2027. Belichick would also be due any earned bonuses that have not been paid at the time of termination.
Given Belichick’s $10 million guaranteed annual salary, he would, at present, be entitled to a pay-off of well over $20 million.
“Success rarely comes fast”
However, UNC chancellor Lee Roberts appears to be in favor of showing patience with the team’s veteran coach. Speaking last month, per local media, Roberts said: “These things take time.”
The chancellor added: “We last won the conference championship in 1980, and so we have significant work to do, significant investment to make to get the program where we want it to be.”
“A minimum level of patience is required for any level of future success,” agreed Malcolm Turner, the chairman of UNC’s board of trustees.
“I appreciate the need and desire for instant gratification, but it takes time to create success. Success rarely comes fast. It rarely comes easily. It’s not a controversial statement to say that about any organization.”
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