UNC GM Forcefully Responds to Report of Bill Belichick's Unsigned Contract

The Tar Heels coach is out on the recruiting trail.

North Carolina Tar Heels head football coach Bill Belichick is introduced during half time at Dean E. Smith Center. / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Michael Lombardi, who serves as GM of North Carolina football, has responded to a report from CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones revealing that Bill Belichick and the university do not have a fully executed and signed contract. His plea? Stop making an issue because the Tar Heels coach is currently hitting the recruiting trail with ferocity and the NFL is not an option.

Bill is recruiting in DC today and Baltimore tomorrow. His focus is on North Carolina football, hiring staff members and developing the team. The NFL isnt a option so please stop making it one. Thank you. https://t.co/Z5sRAcYOCB

— Michael Lombardi (@mlombardiuncgm) January 16, 2025

Belichick signed a term sheet with North Carolina back on Dec. 11 and almost immediately questions were asked about the possibility of him leaving for the NFL. The agreement comes with a $10 million buyout if Belichick leaves before June 1, 2025 and $1 million if he departs after that. Obviously there's a big difference in paying these sums out of one's pocket. And conceivably an NFL offer could manifest—both the Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders have open gigs that could be attractive.

The former New England Patriots coach has been pretty forceful in answering that question, saying that he didn't come to Chapel Hill to leave. Lombardi's rebuttal sends the same message. It's not the first time the GM has weighed in on the process of Belichick acclimating to the college world and it likely won't be the last.

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