North Carolina State spent a lot of money to lure legendary NFL coach Bill Belichick to Chapel Hill.
UNC and Belichick, 72, agreed: The school announced that it is a five-year contract. Belichick’s annual salary (base salary plus extra income) will reach $10 million, significantly more than the $5 million UNC paid national championship-winning coach Mack Brown in his final season at the school. The contract is for five years, but only the first three are guaranteed, making it an unusually short contract in college football.
A coaching agent told CBS Sports, “A three-year deal…I don’t know if the kids are going to go there knowing he could be gone soon.” “But that’s the beauty of portals.”
Another coaching agent said: “In the age of portals, coaching stability may not be as important as it used to be, but it still matters to some extent. I don’t know how that works.” he said.
Another interesting aspect of Belichick’s contract is that his exit buyout is reduced to $1 million after June 1, 2025, paving the way for him to return to the NFL quickly and easily financially if the opportunity arises. is. In theory, he could leave for just $1 million before coaching a game at UNC, but it’s highly unlikely that an NFL team would hire a head coach after the draft or free agency. His best chance to return to the NFL, if he’s that interested, will likely come after the 2025 season in Chapel Hill. Belichick dismissed concerns about his age and commitment to college football during his inaugural press conference Thursday, saying, “I didn’t come here to quit.”
Only seven FBS coaches will make more than $10 million in 2024, a group that also doesn’t include Ohio State coach Ryan Day or LSU coach Brian Kelly.
Schools have five-year contracts for recruiting purposes, and perhaps six-year contracts if the coach is particularly desirable. Purdue, for example, recently signed new manager Barry Odom to a six-year contract.
Belichick’s bonus opportunities are enticing and look like this:
Regular season (the greater of the following amounts)
Win 8 games: $150,000 Win 9 games: $200,000 Win 10 games: $250,000 Win 11 games: $300,000 Win 12 games: $350,000
Conference Championship Game (the greater of the following amounts)
Participation/Winner ($200,000/$300,000)
Postseason bonus (the larger of the following amounts)
Non-college football playoff/bowl appearance: $150,000 Non-CFP Tier 1/Elite Bowl appearance: $350,000CFP Participant: $750,000CFP Quarterfinal appearance: $1 million CFP Semifinal appearance: $1.25 million CFP Championship game appearance: $1.5 million CFP National Champion : $1.75 million
Final CFP vote (greater of the following amounts)
Top 25: $250,000Top 20: $300,000Top 15: $375,000Top 10: $425,000Top 5: $500,000
The legendary coach, who won eight Super Bowls, had never coached college football before committing to take over UNC’s program. The former New England Patriots coach is reportedly interested in a succession plan that could eventually lead to the job passing to his son Steve, who is currently Jed Fisch’s defensive coordinator in Washington.
Belichick worked with legendary Alabama coach Nick Saban when he was with the Cleveland Browns, and won 333 games in 29 seasons as an NFL head coach. He was reportedly making $20 million a year as the coach of the New England Patriots until he was fired after the 2023 season. He was interviewed multiple times during the Atlanta Falcons’ season opener and was eventually taken over by Raheem Morris, but after not getting an NFL coaching position last season, the 2024 season will include ESPN’s Manning cast. Has worked in a variety of media roles.
Belichick replaces the 73-year-old Brown, who was fired after six seasons with a 44-33 record at UNC. This was Brown’s second stint leading the UNC program after a successful run that included six bowl appearances from 1988 to 1997.
more: Insider Super Bowl-winning coach decides to return to college
