Bill Belichick's contract and buyout means North Carolina fans may root for NFL job

Ludacris' pregame concert before the Clemson-North Carolina game generated more headlines for the Tar Heels, but the start of the Bill Belichick era in Chapel Hill is being defined by everything but football. Belichick's contract and buyout details means North Carolina is likely headed for a long marriage.

North Carolina got off to another poor start at Clemson. Even the most optimistic fans are likely coming to the conclusion that Belichick is going to need a lot of time to turn things around for the Tar Heels.

Belichick signed a five-year contract topping $50 million with North Carolina. Additionally, the first three years of Belichick's contract are fully guaranteed with the coach receiving a $10 million annual base salary, per NFL.com.

UNC fans are LEAVING THE STADIUM in the 2Q down big vs. Clemson 😳 pic.twitter.com/vzdQ7AbQL6
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 4, 2025

All this means that unless the NFL comes calling, the Belichick era is likely to continue for at least the next three years.

Bill Belichick's contract guarantees the North Carolina coach earns at least $30 million

Even before Belichick began his tenure at North Carolina, there were rumors that the coach could head back to the NFL before coaching a game for the Tar Heels. This proved to be false, but Belichick's buyout has typically been framed by how much the coach would owe North Carolina if he bolted.

Now, some fans are curious about what happens if the reverse were true, and North Carolina brass eventually wants to move on from Belichick. The short answer is North Carolina has $30 million reasons to stick with Belichick for the long haul.

Bill Belichick would owe North Carolina a $1 million buyout if the coach leaves UNC for the NFL

Initially, Belichick's buyout was $10 million if the coach opted to leave North Carolina. On June 1, this figure dropped drastically to $1 million where it will remain for the life of Belichick's contract, per The Athletic's Matt Baker.

If Belichick decides to leave North Carolina for the NFL or another job, the coach will owe the university $1 million throughout his tenure. Things get much more complicated if North Carolina wants to part ways with the legendary coach.

Here's the harsh reality for North Carolina fans hoping Belichick's stint in college football is brief, the NFL already passed on the longtime coach during the latest round of hiring. Belichick's slow start at North Carolina is unlikely to do much to improve his stock with NFL teams.

There is still hope Belichick can improve North Carolina once the coach has a full cycle of recruiting, but 2025 looks to be a rebuilding year.