Bill Belichick buyout drops to $1 million, per contract terms

According to the terms of his contract at North Carolina, Bill Belichick’s buyout dropped Sunday. The figure is now $1 million if he chooses to leave.

Belichick signed his contract to become UNC’s next head coach in December after the school announced him as Mack Brown’s replacement. His base salary is $1 million with an additional $9 million in supplemental income, totaling out to $10 million per year. The first three years of the five-year deal are guaranteed.

Upon his hiring, Belichick’s buyout sat at $10 million prior to June 1 if he terminates the deal without cause. That number dropped to $1 million on Sunday, per the terms sheet. He would owe that amount to the school within 180 days.

North Carolina marks Belichick’s first college coaching job after a decorated career in the NFL, notably with the New England Patriots. He led the franchise to seven Super Bowls with Tom Brady at quarterback and parted ways at the end of the 2023 season.

All told, during his time in New England, Belichick had a 266-121 record, and his 302 career victories sits second in NFL history behind the great Don Shula. Now, he’s preparing to take on the college game at North Carolina, where his father Steve served as an assistant coach from 1953-55.

“I grew up around college football at the Naval Academy and some of the great teams there, especially the ’63 team, the ’60 team,” Belichick said earlier this month. “Great teams and great players there. [Roger] Staubach, [Thomas] Lynch, Pat Donnelly and those guys. They were great leaders, great people and great inspirations to me, and I learned a lot from watching them.

“I’ve always tried to make my team look like those teams. The kind of teamwork, camaraderie, communication, toughness, and resilience that those guys had.”

Bill Belichick: ‘Everything we do is a pro model’

Shortly after news broke of Bill Belichick’s plans to take over at UNC, he hired Michael Lombardi as the program’s general manager. The goal was to create an NFL-like atmosphere in Chapel Hill and effectively make the Tar Heels the NFL’s “33rd team,” in their words.

“Everything we do is a pro model,” Belichick said. “Head coach, general manager, and we want the players to develop professionally to their maximum football level, academically, and as a pro in life. To be ready to go into wherever life takes them, whether that’s owning their business, or working for a company, or whatever that happens to be. So, they’re all life lessons.”

North Carolina has 42 players coming in via the transfer portal this season, headlined by former Washington cornerback Thaddeus Dixon. He came in as the No. 33 overall player in the On3 Industry Transfer Rankings and is one of three Top-100 transfers heading to Chapel Hill. UNC’s transfer class ranks No. 8 in the nation, according to the On3 Team Transfer Portal Index.

Former South Alabama quarterback Gio Lopez is also preparing to suit up for North Carolina after coming in as the No. 18-ranked quarterback in the On3 Industry Transfer Rankings. He completed 66% of his passes for 2,559 yards and 18 touchdowns last season, and appears in line to be Belichick’s first starting quarterback at UNC.

North Carolina will get the 2025 season underway Sept. 1 with a Monday night matchup against TCU. That game will kick off at 8 p.m. ET.