Here's Where Bill Belichick's Contract Ranks Among College Head Coaches

Bill Belichick is being paid like one of college football's top coaches.

Belichick will be UNC's next coach / Bob Breidenbach / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The University of North Carolina is finalizing a contract to make Bill Belichick the program's next head coach, sources told Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde, Albert Breer and Bryan Fisher. The news was first reported by Inside Carolina and later by ESPN.

After just about one year removed from coaching the New England Patriots, the six-time Super Bowl winning head coach will now lead a college football program for the first time in his career, at the same place where his dad was an assistant in the 1950s.

While Belichick has never coached college football, he is being paid like he's one of the sport's top coaches already. His professional pedigree certainly won out in North Carolina's search to replace Mack Brown, and they're paying him handsomely for it, to the tune of a three-year, $30 million contract according to Brendan Marks and Ralph Russo of The Athletic.

Editor's Note: Some journalists have reported the contract to be a five-year deal instead of three, including an amendment to The Athletic's initial report.

According to USA Today data compiled this past October, Belichick's annual salary of $10 million per year is tied for sixth in the FBS with Florida State's Mike Norvell and Alabama's Kalen DeBoer. Belichick is also tied for second in the ACC with Norvell (Dabo Swinney is first in the conference and second in the FBS with his $11.1 million salary).

Everyone, of course, is chasing two-time national champion Kirby Smart at Georgia, who earns over $13.2 million per year.

Here's the top-10 according to USA Today, who has data on 125 salaries:

Coach	School	Salary	Conference
Kirby Smart	Georgia	$13,282,580	SEC
Dabo Swinney	Clemson	$11,132,775	ACC
Steve Sarkisian	Texas	$10,600,000	SEC
Lincoln Riley	USC	$10,043,418	Big Ten
Ryan Day	Ohio State	$10,021,250	Big Ten
Bill Belichick	UNC	$10,000,000	ACC
Mike Norvell	Florida State	$10,000,000	ACC
Kalen DeBoer	Alabama	$10,000,000	SEC
Brian Kelly	LSU	$9,975,000	SEC
Mark Stoops	Kentucky	$9,013,600	SEC

Time will tell whether or not this is a wise investment for Carolina, but it is certainly a risk they're willing to take on the 72-year-old Belichick.

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