Bill

Belichick

Anybody on contract watch in hopes of Belichick returning to the NFL may now resign from their post. While anything remains possible, Belichick signing his contract with the program puts multiple speculations to rest over whether or not he would be required to pay a $10 million buyout should he take an NFL head coaching job any time between now and June 1. Belichick seemed most closely “linked” to the Cowboys after they opted to not renew Mike McCarthy’s coach last week, but Belichick never had an official sit down with the team. Belichick appears ready to full dive into the college coaching ranks, as he continues to hit the recruiting trail for the Tar Heels after agreeing to become their head coach back in mid-December.

Werder’s missive is in response to a Thursday morning CBS report that Belichick has yet to even sign his UNC contract, which we must admit would be very Belichick-ian. CBS’ Jonathan Jones reports BB has signed a “term sheet proposal,” but not the actual contract itself. It’s a not-uncommon college practice, one where probably even Belichick won’t break the unwritten rules. We don’t doubt that Belichick is probably experiencing some buyer’s remorse after jumping too quickly to the college ranks, but reneging for the NFL after barely a month would be too unseemly even for Bill.

Jones reports that “sources last month indicated Belichick had interest in the Dallas job should it come open.” Of course, when Belichick took the job at North Carolina, there was no guarantee that the Cowboys’ head coaching job would become available, which likely factored into his taking the job with the Tar Heels. Belichick has a $10 million buyout in his contract with the Tar Heels that would require him to pay $10 million to the program if he were to leave before June 1 of this year. It’s a buyout that’s clearly in place to deter Belichick from leaving shortly after an NFL job comes available, but if the Cowboys really want to hire him, and he’s interested in a return to the league, there are plenty of ways owner Jerry Jones can get his guy. Last week, it was reported that Belichick had “no plans” to return to the NFL after some speculated the Tom Brady could lure him to the Raiders. We’ll see if he carries the same tone now that the Cowboys’ job has come available, or if Belichick would be willing to return for a job he was reportedly interested in.

Belichick, of course, took a job as the head coach of the North Carolina Tarheels last month. While it’s hard to accept the fact that he has left the NFL behind, the greatest professional football coach ever will spend at least one year in the college ranks, likely more. Per Russini, “His sole focus is on coaching and recruiting for North Carolina.” Belichick could get plenty of interviews for the various head coaching vacancies around the league if he wanted to, but it sounds like he won’t even dip his toes in the water this offseason.

Brady, per Pelissero, wanted to know “what it would take” to lure Belichick away from the University of North Carolina job he took a few weeks ago. Belichick’s deal with the university is over five years, though Belichick reportedly has easy outs in the deal. The Raiders this week fired head coach Antonio Pierce after one disastrous season at the helm. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that Belichick could be on the Raiders sideline in 2025.

The “finalizing” terminology has already been reported by 247 Sports’ Adam Smith, but the fact that this is now being leaked to national reporters puts even more weight behind the rumors. Schefter also added a rather definitive statement to his report, saying, “Belichick is going back to school, to where his father served as an assistant coach in the 1950s.” We fully expect the ink to dry by the end of the week. Belichick was chasing the all-time wins record as an NFL head coach before the Patriots moved on. He needs 15 to take the crown from Don Shula. That will have to wait as the 72-year-old coach is headed to the college ranks for the first time in his career. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him rejoin the NFL in a few years, though it’s fair to wonder how many seasons he has left. Even if Belichick never returns to the pros, the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach will go down as the greatest of all time.

It’s not a done deal yet, but Belichick’s talks with North Carolina can no longer be written off as a power play toward an NFL gig. The interest appears to be real and mutual. Belichick was passed over for multiple head coaching gigs during the last NFL hiring cycle and has spent the 2024 season in various media roles. Bill was never long for the media world and is set to enter the college ranks for the first time in his storied career. He will replace legendary college football coach Mack Brown, who was relieved of his duties after a 6-6 regular season campaign. With the NIL era reshaping how college football teams are managed, Belichick’s experience as the Patriots’ de facto general manager will also come in handy. It’s certainly an odd fit for arguably the greatest NFL coach of all time, but we like Belichick’s odds in an increasingly stale looking ACC.

Already thought to be one of the top free agent coaching candidates during the NFL’s next head coaching cycle, it would appear Belichick is more than serious about trying his hand at the college game. “It’s uncertain how deep UNC’s talks with Belichick are,” according to Thamel’s latest article, but the sides are expected to reach a resolution later this week, one way or another. It’s hard to envision the 72-year-old NFL legend on a college sideline in 2025, but he’s clearly open to the idea if the situation is right.

Not many people had Belichick going back to school on their 2024 Coaching Carousel Bingo card, but the 72-year-old future Hall of Famer is at least keeping his options open. Belichick has never run a college program, so it’s hard to imagine the six-time Super Bowl-winning coach wanting to get in the game now, but anything is possible. While possible, it doesn’t seem probable. Wherever Belichick coaches next will likely be his last destination, and the long-time coach is still chasing Don Shula for the NFL’s all-time wins record, which sits at 328. Belichick would likely need three more seasons in the league if he hopes to set the all-time wins record, and making the jump to college only delays those efforts. Belichick is expected to meet with several NFL teams when the coaching cycle kicks off in just a few months. Even if he does make the jump to college, we wouldn’t expect him to do so until he’s exhausted all of his options in the pros.

Graziano and Jeremy Fowler characterize Belichick as on the second-tier of available head coaches this offseason, behind both Lions coordinators and close to former Titans head coach Mike Vrabel. Graziano doesn’t buy the idea of Belichick joining the Cowboys or Giants. It certainly makes plenty of sense for the Jaguars to wind up with Belichick given how adrift things have seemed with Doug Pederson.