Bill Belichick, North Carolina reportedly looking at buyout options, exit strategies
Published:
Bill Belichick might not even make it through his first season at North Carolina, with the school holding “preliminary conversations” regarding “potential exit strategy discussions” on the Tar Heels head coach on Wednesday morning, according to a report by Andrew Jones of TarHeel247.
According to Jones’ report, it’s not even a sure thing that the NFL coaching legend will coach the team in its next game. North Carolina is on a bye this week and then plays at Cal on Friday, Oct. 17. That game will kick off at 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, with another national TV spotlight set up for Belichick if he is still the head coach at UNC by that time. The Tar Heels are off to a rocky 2-3 start after back-to-back blowout losses to UCF and Clemson, so the Bill Belichick era is off to a shaky start on the field.
Off the field, things are a mess as well right now. According to the TarHeel247 report, North Carolina is exploring the possibility of using the violations by his assistant coaches to get itself out from under Belichick’s contract buyout. Earlier this week, UNC cornerbacks coach Armond Hawkins was suspended for allegedly giving extra benefits to players and their families, according to a report by The Athletic.
According to football journalist Ollie Connolly, the 73-year-old Belichick has had discussions with North Carolina leadership about buyout options. Those discussions have included Belichick’s “willingness to trigger his own $1 million buyout” provided he can find a job with another team or in the sports media, according to Connolly.
Connolly also reported that some on Belichick’s UNC staff have already been looking to join other teams during the College Football Playoff.
According to North Carolina’s term sheet released last winter, Belichick’s $10 million salary is fully guaranteed through the 2027 season.
[H/T FootballScoop]
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
