More than a month after he was introduced as the coach at North Carolina, Bill Belichick has formally signed his contract with the university. The deal is laden with incentives that could make him one of the highest-paid coaches in the sport.
Belichick signed a five-year deal that will pay him $10 million annually between his base salary and supplemental income — the latter of which is boilerplate in contracts for major college football head coaches. Only the first three years are guaranteed by the university. Belichick will owe $10 million if he leaves before June 1, 2025. After that date, the buyout to leave drops to only $1 million.
The $10 million salary would have tied for sixth-highest in college football, equal to Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer and Florida State’s Mike Norvell. Only Kirby Smart (Georgia), Dabo Swinney (Clemson), Steve Sarkisian (Texas) Lincoln Riley (USC) and Ryan Day (Ohio State) report higher salaries than Belichick, according to the USA Today Salary Database. For comparison, former coach Mack Brown ranked 42nd with a salary of $5 million.
Belichick’s contract is also filled with incentives that could push his salary higher. Some of which include:
- Rising bonuses for winning games, starting at $150,000 for eight wins and ending at $350,000 for 12 wins.
- $200,000 for earning a trip to the conference championship game and $300,000 for winning.
- $150,000 for making a bowl game, but $350,000 for appearing specifically in a “non-CFP Tier 1/elite bowl game,” defined as the Pop-Tarts Bowl, Gator Bowl or Mayo Bowl.
- Increasing bonuses for appearing in the College Football Playoff: participant ($750,000), quarterfinals ($1 million), semifinal ($1.25 million), championship appearance ($1.5 million) and championship win ($1.75 million). Belichick would receive only the highest of the numbers available.
- Final CFP rankings finish starting at $250,000 for a top 25 finish increasing to $500,000 for a top five finish.
- ACC Coach of the Year nets him $100,000, while national coach of the year reaches $250,000.
- Various academic benefits tied to team GPA and Academic Progress Report.
Belichick, arguably the greatest coach in NFL history, shocked the sport when he opted to join North Carolina. The New England Patriots legend had never coached at the collegiate level. He was passed over for NFL opportunities during the 2023-24 cycle and spent the 2024 season as a TV analyst.
Last week, CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones reported that Belichick’s contract remained unsigned, making it unclear whether the university would be able to enforce the $10 million buyout if Belichick opted to take an NFL position. It’s common for coaches to work under a memorandum of understanding for months at a time before finally executing a full contract. However, Belichick’s situation was unique as he received interest from the NFL after signing the MOU.
Belichick’s girlfriend Jordon Hudson later wrote on Instagram that the pair are “overtly committed” to the program. Belichick also claimed in his introductory press conference that he did not come to UNC to leave. After formally signing his contract, Belichick has seemingly affirmed that message. Only four NFL coach openings remain.
