Bill Belichick now sits 14 gets quiet of the NFL’s all-time gets history. His new agreement with the University of North Carolina would allow the 72-year-old coach to quickly return to the professional league for a fairly low price.
Belichick, who was an NFL head coach for 29 months, agreed this week to a five-year,$ 50 million deal with UNC. The terms of the agreement, which were released publicly by the college Thursday, include a pretty coach-friendly merger. Before his team plays a single down on June 1st of next year, Belichick would have to leave the school for just$ 1 million.
The most notable aspect of Belichick’s fresh deal is probably those small liquidated damage. Some other key features: UNC is committing to pay$ 13 million to football players through revenue-sharing, Belichick is eligible for$ 3.5 million in annual bonuses, has a$ 16.3 million pool for assistants and staffers, and his salary includes a three-year guarantee, which means he’d be paid his full$ 30 million of salary through Dec. 31, 2027—even if he is fired before then without cause.

Belichick is entering school at a time when numerous renowned NCAA coaches of his generation are leaving the professional ranks. Longstanding Alabama football coach Nick Saban, for instance, retired immediately earlier this year. Prominent NCAA basketball coaches like Jay Wright ( Villanova ), Mike Krzyzewski ( Duke ) and Tony Bennett ( Virginia ) threw in their towels. An ESPN article from Thursday about Belichick’s thoughts made reference to the influence he would have at UNC and his present frustration with the NFL.
The UNC name sheet demonstrates that powerful. At$ 10 million per year, Belichick becomes the 24thhighest-paid coach in American team sports—tied for seventh among college football coaches. Prior to joining the New England Patriots, he held the top position in the instruction pay order.
Belichick’s buyout, which is$ 10 million if he leaves before June 1, pales in comparison to many of his peers. Deion Sanders, a well-known name with potential NFL bidders, Colorado coach, would have owed$ 15 million to his school if he had left after the first year of his five-year deal with the Buffaloes. After this year, it dropped to$ 10 million, and it will continue to fall over the course of his presidency.
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti, who just reworked his contract in the middle of an 11-1 season, would owe the school$ 13 million if he left in year one of the new deal, and$ 10 million if he left in year two. Though he makes substantially less per month than Belichick, his merger doesn’t struck$ 1 million until the eighth and final season of his deal. Brian Kelly’s LSU contract included a$ 4 million buyout in the first year,$ 3 million in year two and$ 2 million from year three onwards. Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz, however, has never had to pay liquidated damages to the university, per the conditions of his deal, which was originally signed in 2016 and most recently amended in 2021.

Belichick’s$ 3.5 million in potential bonuses includes$ 1.75 million in the event the Tar Heels win a college football national championship,$ 500, 000 if they finish top-five in the final College Football Playoff rankings and$ 150, 000 if they win at least eight games.
As outlined in the term sheet—and pending governing body approvals and “availability of funds “—Belichick will be given a$ 10 million per-year pool to pay his assistant coaches,$ 5.3 million for support staff, and$ 1 million for a strength and conditioning staff.

The term sheet specifies the creation of a position for football general managers, who will receive a deal worth up to$ 1.5 million annually and match Belichick’s tenure. According to many reports, Michael Lombardi, the former aide to Belichick, may take over this position.
Before all that happens, however, Belichick will have to travel to Chapel Hill, N. C., which he can complete richly. UNC has agreed to cover$ 100, 000 of the new team’s moving expenses.