More than a month after being introduced as North Carolina’s coach, Bill Belichick has officially signed his contract with the university. The deal is loaded with incentives that could make him one of the highest-paid coaches in the sport.
Belichick signed a five-year contract that will pay him $10 million per year between his base salary and supplemental income – the latter of which is standard in contracts for major college football coaches. Only the first three years are guaranteed by the university. Belichick will owe $10 million if he leaves before June 1, 2025. After that date, the buyout to leave drops to just $1 million.
The $10 million salary would have been tied for sixth-most in college football, tied with Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer and Florida State’s Mike Norvell. Only Kirby Smart (Georgia), Dabo Swinney (Clemson), Steve Sarkisian (Texas), Lincoln Riley (USC) and Ryan Day (Ohio State) report higher salaries than Belichick, according to USA Salary Database Today. For comparison, former coach Mack Brown ranked 42nd with a salary of $5 million.
Belichick’s contract is also filled with incentives that could increase his salary. Some of them include:
- Bonuses increasing for winning games, starting at $150,000 for eight wins and ending at $350,000 for 12 wins.
- $200,000 for winning a trip to the conference championship game and $300,000 for winning.
- $150,000 to create a bowl game, but $350,000 to specifically appear in a “Tier 1/Elite non-CFP bowl game,” defined as the Pop-Tarts Bowl, Gator Bowl, or Mayo Bowl.
- Increasing bonuses for participation in the College Football Playoff: participant ($750,000), quarterfinals ($1 million), semifinals ($1.25 million), championship appearance ($1.5 million) and championship victory ($1.75 million). Belichick would only receive the highest number among the available numbers.
- The final CFP ranking starts at $250,000 for a top 25 and increases to $500,000 for a top five.
- The ACC Coach of the Year earns him $100,000, while the National Coach of the Year tops out at $250,000.
- Various academic benefits linked to team GPA and Academic Progress Report.
Belichick, arguably the greatest coach in NFL history, shocked the sport when he chose to join North Carolina. The New England Patriots legend had never coached at the college level. He was passed over for NFL opportunities in the 2023-24 cycle and spent the 2024 season as a TV analyst.
Last week, CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones reported that Belichick’s contract remains unsigned, making it unclear whether the university would be able to force the $10 million buyout if Belichick chose to take a position in the NFL. It is common for coaches to work under a memorandum of understanding for months before finally executing a full contract. However, Belichick’s situation was unique as he received interest from the NFL after signing the MOU.
Belichick’s girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, later wrote on Instagram that the couple was “openly engaged” in the program. Belichick also said during his introductory press conference that he didn’t come to UNC to leave. After officially signing his contract, Belichick seemingly confirmed this message. There are only four coaching positions left in the NFL.
