After an involved process and various reports, Bill Belichick is officially the next head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels football team.
Belichick, who will turn 73 in the spring, is back to coaching less than a year after he and the Patriots mutually agreed to part ways. As a six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach, Belichick is expected to take UNC's football program to new heights after the Heels' 6-6 finish in the 2024 season.
Belichick's standing as one of the greatest minds in football history makes this a splashy and unprecedented hire for North Carolina's football program. A hire of this magnitude comes with a price, however, and Belichick is set for a significant payday as he takes over in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Here's everything to know about Belichick's UNC contract.
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Bill Belichick contract details
- Years: 5
- Annual salary: $10 million
- Total value: $50 million
Belichick's contract is for five years, UNC announced. The university shared a copy of his contract which reads that UNC "shall pay Coach supplemental income in the aggregate amount of Nine Million Dollars ($9,000,000) annually, paid monthly on the last business day of the calendar month so long as Coach is employed as Head Coach."
This supplemental income is in addition to Belichick's base salary of $1 million, which brings his annual salary to $10 million.
The school will reportedly greatly increase its NIL allotment for football from $4 million to $20 million.
Reports of Belichick's contract being three years and five years ended up both being correct with the first three years guaranteed but it being for a total of five years.
In addition to his annual salary, Belichick could reach several incentive-based bonuses tied to the team's performance in the ACC and postseason play.
Per the terms of his contract, Belichick would owe UNC $10 million if he chose to leave the university before June 1, 2025. Should he leave on or after June 1, 2025, he would owe the university $1 million.
Highest-paid college football coaches
Here are the top 10 highest-paid coaches in college football.
Belichick's salary at UNC puts him in a tie for sixth among FBS coaches with Alabama's Kalen DeBoer and FSU's Mike Norvell. That does not account for potential bonuses. Georgia's Kirby Smart is the highest-paid coach in college football, earning $13.28 million per year.
All figures are via USA Today's head coach salary database, which was last updated in November 2024:
| Rank | Coach | Annual Salary | School |
| 1. | Kirby Smart | $13.28 million | Georgia |
| 2. | Dabo Swinney | $11.13 million | Clemson |
| 3. | Lincoln Riley | $10.04 million | USC |
| 4. | Steve Sarkisian | $10.03 million | Texas |
| 5. | Ryan Day | $10.02 million | Ohio State |
| 6. | Kalen DeBoer | $10.00 million | Alabama |
| Mike Norvell | $10.00 million | Florida State | |
| Bill Belichick | $10.00 million | UNC | |
| 9. | Brian Kelly | $9.98 million | LSU |
| 10. | Mark Stoops | $9.01 million | Kentucky |
Bill Belichick net worth
Belichick earned more than $200 million during his NFL coaching career, according to Bloomberg. He reportedly had a $20 million salary during the final year of his contract with the Patriots, making him the highest-paid coach in the NFL.
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