CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — After days of uncertainty about whether or not a deal would get done, Bill Belichick and the UNC football team have reached a contract agreement to make the six-time Super Bowl winner with the New England Patriots the Tar Heels' next head coach, the school announced Wednesday evening.
The university said Belichick agreed to a five-year deal, which is still pending approval by UNC's Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees announced that it will hold an emergency meeting at 9 a.m. on Thursday to review the contract.
“We know that college athletics is changing, and those changes require new and innovative thinking," UNC Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham said in a statement. "Bill Belichick is a football legend and hiring him to lead our program represents a new approach that will ensure Carolina Football can evolve, compete and win -- today and in the future."
The first rumblings of the longtime NFL coach making the jump to college came last week when Inside Carolina reported that Belichick met with UNC for an initial interview over Zoom. A follow-up interview with Cunningham and Chancellor Lee Roberts happened last Thursday in New York City, according to the outlet.
On Monday, Belichick appeared on the Pat McAfee Show on ESPN, where he revealed that he had spoken to Roberts about the job. According to The Athletic, tensions between Cunningham and Board of Trustees chair John Preyer delayed the search process. Preyer and other board members reportedly reached out to Belichick directly, offering him a preliminary deal.
On Wednesday, Inside Carolina first reported that Belichick and UNC were in the process of finalizing a deal.
The idea of Belichick joining the college ranks has sparked significant debate. The 72-year-old coach, regarded as one of the greatest in NFL history, has no prior experience at the college level. His resume, however, speaks for itself: six Super Bowl titles with the New England Patriots and 302 career regular-season wins, third-most in NFL history.
“I am excited for the opportunity at UNC-Chapel Hill," Belichick said in a statement. "I grew up around college football with my Dad and treasured those times. I have always wanted to coach in college and now I look forward to building the football program in Chapel Hill.”
Despite his professional success, Belichick faces a new challenge in taking over a program that hasn’t seen consistent dominance since Mack Brown’s first stint in the 1990s. The Tar Heels last claimed an ACC Championship in 1980 and have only one New Year’s Six bowl appearance in the past seven decades.
WFMY News 2's Logan Campbell was in Chapel Hill earlier in the day Wednesday to get reactions from students on UNC's campus about Belichick before things became official.
"Knowing Bill's history as a coach, I think he'll step right in, knock some sense into those guys and I have a feeling we're going to have a good few seasons for however long he's here," one student said.
"(I'm expecting) a whole lot of wins, maybe bowl eligibility the first year," another said. "A couple of years down the road, we could have a natty, maybe."
Belichick fills in for Mack Brown, who was fired before the end of the 2024 regular season in what was his seventh season with UNC since returning to the team in 2018.
Brown, 73, is UNC's all-time leader in wins with 193, a considerable amount more than second-place Dick Crum's 116. His first stint with the Tar Heels from 1988 to 1997 featured three 10-win seasons and three bowl wins.
UNC went 6-6 in the regular season and is set to play UConn in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl on Dec. 27. The Tar Heels have already had several players enter the transfer portal, including big names on defense like linebacker Amare Campbell and Travis Shaw.
One player who had entered the portal, offensive lineman Austin Blaske, announced he was withdrawing his name from the portal as the Belichick news began to heat up.
North Carolina currently ranks 90th in 247Sports' team recruiting rankings for the Class of 2025. The Tar Heels have signed two four-star players, led by East Forsyth quarterback Bryce Baker.
On Wednesday evening, CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones reported that UNC's NIL fund will reach nearly $20 million as part of the agreement to bring Belichick to Chapel Hill. That would put the Tar Heels in the same realm as top-tier programs like Ohio State, Texas and Oregon.
Jones also said Belichick is expected to bring in 30 new staff members to the programs. According to sports gambling site VSin, one new addition will be Michael Lombardi, a former Belichick assistant and NFL Network analyst who most recently served as an advisor for the University of Washington. Lombardi will serve as the program's general manager.
Another name to watch is Stephen Belichick — Bill's son — who is currently the defensive coordinator at Washington.
Belichick's dad, Steve Belichick, was an assistant coach for the UNC football team from 1953-55 under former head coach George Barclay.
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