Bill Belichick, the 73-year-old head football coach at University of North Carolina, made one of the most anticipated and heavily hyped debuts that a college coach has ever made on Monday, when the Tar Heels took on the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. With the hype surrounding the legendary former New England Patriots coach’s new career move getting, according to the New York Post, “out of control,” an ALl-Star cast of sports celebrities showed up at Kenan Memorial Stadium.
The “fans” on hand included NBA legend Michael Jordan, Team USA soccer icon Mia Hamm, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Blake Snell, and former NFL wide receiver Randy Moss, who played for Belichick’s Patriots from 2007 to 2010.
Belichick Tight-Lipped About Patriots Pay
With all of the fanfare drawn to Belichick, his mere presence at UNC is certain to be a moneymaker for the school. But how much is the school paying the six-time Super Bowl winner to guide the team, Tar Heels fans hope, to the College Football Playoffs?
As coach of the Patriots, Belichick never publicly discussed his paycheck, and kept a tight lid on the details of what he earned during his 24-year career in New England. But according to media reports, when he was fired after a 4-13 2023 season, the 1975 graduate of small, liberal arts school Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, was pulling in about $20 million per year.
Coach’s Contract Now Public Record
But UNC is a publicly funded state university and that means the details of his contract are public record and have been widely reported. Belichick’s desire for privacy must come face to face with sunshine laws, and that means the public now knows what Belichick will earn as head coach of the Tar Heels â and that it is a lot less than his reported Patriots paycheck.
Don’t worry about Belichick, though. He remains unlikely to be suffering any financial problems anytime soon.
Belichick signed a five-year contract with UNC in January that would keep him on the sidelines in Chapel Hill until the age of 78, which would be a remarkable achievement given that Belichick is already the oldest coach in college football.
Belichick Guaranteed At Least $30 Mil
The contract, according to an account by USA Today, pays Belichick $50 million â or $10 million per year over the life of the contract. However, only the first three years are guaranteed.
That means if Belichick is fired or retires after his third season, he will not be owed any money by the school. But he will be paid $30 million no matter what happens.
The contract contains a number on incentive clauses that could make the already-wealthy â with his net worth roughly estimated around $70 million â Belichick even richer.
Bonuses For Benchmarks of Success
If the Tar Heels win eight games of their 12-game regular season schedule, Belichick collects an extra $150,000. If they win all 12, he will be paid a $350,000 bonus.
Getting to the College Football Playoffs earns Belichick another $750,000, and if UNC wins the national championship on his watch â which seems unlikely, at least this season â his extra payoff bumps up to a cool $1.75 million.
If UNC ends up in the top 25 of the final College Football Playoff rankings, Belichick collects a $250,000 bonus, and of the Tar Heels end up in the top five, he gets $500,000.
Belichick, in addition to his $10 million salary, will also receive an expense account of $100,000 from the school.
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