Bill Belichick has sneaky $1M clause in UNC contract for NFL immediate return

Could the six-time Super Bowl champion coach bolt without coaching a game for North Carolina?

Matt Ryan | 16 Hours Ago

Dec 14, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head football coach Bill Belichick during half time at Dean E. Smith Center. / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

It’s a possibility Bill Belichick may never coach a game for the North Carolina Tar Heels should he be lured back to the NFL.

The six-time Super Bowl winning coach with the New England Patriots had a short-lived break from football after leaving the team in January of 2024 and being announced as the UNC head coach in December. He spent his time with his 24-year-old girlfriend Jordon Hudson with whom he was seen posing with at a corn maze, and with her cheerleading team.

Dec. 9, 2024: Bill Belichick poses with his girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, in Nantucket, Massachusetts. / @jordon_isabella/Instagram

While Belichick asked Santa for recruiting help in an epic post, he and Hudson may not even end up staying in Chapel Hill as NFL teams are showing interest including the Las Vegas Raiders with Tom Brady involved. Within Belichick’s five-year, $50 million contract with UNC there’s an out clause: A $10 million buyout should he decide to leave, but only through June 1, 2025, at which point it will decrease to $1 million. That’s a sneaky clause in there.

Reminder: Belichick would owe UNC $10 million if he leaves before June 1. He would only owe UNC $1 million if he leaves after June 1. There's always been a possibility he never coaches in Chapel Hill.

That buyout might be worth it for someone. https://t.co/DdDGIoSmBH
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) January 8, 2025

It’s also peanuts to an NFL owner and potentially a much more lucrative deal for the 72-year-old coach should he choose to go to the NFL.

There are incentives in his UNC contract for postseason bonuses, including:

$150,000 for any bowl appearance or a Non-College Football Playoff
$350,000 for a Non-CFP Tier 1/Elite bowl appearance
$750,000 for a CFP participant
$1 million for a CFP quarterfinal appearance
$1.25 million for a CFP semifinal appearance
$1.5 million for a CFP championship game appearance
$1.75 million for a CFP national champion

Even those aren’t much from what he could potentially make in the NFL today.

2017: Bill Belichick celebrates after Super Bowl LI where the New England Patriots vs The Atlanta Falcon at NRG Stadium, Houston. / Bob Breidenbach / USA TODAY NETWORK

In 29 seasons, Belichick reportedly made over $200 million. He’s second all-time with 333 career wins to Miami Dolphins legend Don Shula’s 347.

Does he want to pursue the record and go back to the NFL grind, or stay at the collegiate level? No doubt, Belichick will have some decision to make.

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Published 16 Hours Ago|Modified Jan 8, 2025

MATT RYAN