Report: UNC hiring Belichick as head coach
Bill Belichick is making a stunning move to college football.
North Carolina is finalizing a deal to hire the NFL and New England Patriots legend as its new head coach, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter, Pete Thamel, and Chris Low.
Belichick's deal with the Tar Heels is for three years and $30 million, sources told The Athletic's Ralph D. Russo.
The 72-year-old parted ways with the Patriots at the end of the 2023 season and didn't coach in 2024. He was a finalist for the Atlanta Falcons' head coaching job, but the team eventually hired Raheem Morris instead.
The sense among NFL owners was that Belichick had generated almost no NFL interest for the 2025 cycle, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
Belichick will replace Mack Brown on the Tar Heels, who moved on from their longtime head coach Nov. 26 after posting a 6-6 record this season. North Carolina ranked 36th in the nation with 32.3 points per game in 2024 while allowing 28.2 points per contest defensively, only the 91st-best mark in the country.
Belichick interviewed for the North Carolina job last week and reportedly impressed the Tar Heels. The two sides apparently made progress on an agreement Wednesday before ironing out a few issues, including the school's NIL funding, staff resources, Belichick's salary, and the role that his son, Steve Belichick, will have on the team. Steve is currently the defensive coordinator at Washington.
North Carolina is planning to increase its NIL package for football from $4 million to $20 million, sources told Matt Hayes of USA Today.
Belichick has been lining up potential staff members to join him at UNC for days and also exploring possible transfer portal additions, according to Low.
Arguably the greatest coach in NFL history, Belichick spent 24 seasons in New England and became the second-winningest head coach of all time. He won six Super Bowl titles with the Patriots along with legendary quarterback Tom Brady.
Belichick has never coached at the college level. His father was an assistant coach at North Carolina between 1953-55.