Saying things are getting ugly at North Carolina for Bill Belichick would be a big understatement. According to Ollie Connolly of the Read Optional Newsletter and senior editor of The Guardian newspaper, Belichick has discussed buyout options with North Carolina’s hierarchy.
Connolly went on to report that Belichick has signalled a willingness to trigger his own $1 million buyout if he can find a soft landing with another team or in the media. He also reported that Members of Belichick’s coaching staff have already spoken to other schools that are expected to be in the CFB Playoff about taking on roles during the postseason.
Wednesday night, amid the rumors, Belichick and UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham released a statement that the former New England Patriots coach is committed to the program. That all seems like a smokescreen, and it didn’t stop Paul Finebaum from blasting Belichick.
Paul Finebaum Calls for Bill Belichick to ‘Walk Out’ of North Carolina
Finebaum joined Mike Greenberg on ESPN’s ‘Get Up.’ He called for the six-time Super Bowl winner to walk away from his first college coaching job.
“It feels to me like it is over,” said Finebaum. “I think his behavior is indicative of that. Not to make too much out of it, but he basically took a week off during the bye week. And he’s entitled to have his own private life, we’ve said that repeatedly here, but I’ve never heard of a coach in big-time college football to do something like that. Maybe take an afternoon off to play golf during the bye week, but not go on vacation. So to me, he has checked out.”
Finebaum was referring to Belichick taking a trip to Massachusetts a couple of weeks ago during the Tar Heels’ first bye week. He was recruiting and also spent some time on Nantucket with his girlfriend, Jordan Hudson.
“I think Bill Belichick would be wise to walk out now before the humiliation gets any worse,” Finebaum said.
North Carolina On the Second Bye of the 2025 Season This Weekend
The timing of this isn’t surprising. UNC is on another bye after a 38-10 loss at home to Clemson last weekend. They return to the field on October 17 at California for their first ACC road game.
North Carolina’s remaining seven games are all ACC contests. At 2-3, a bowl game is still well within reach for the Tar Heels. The ACC isn’t a daunting conference compared to the Big Ten or the SEC. Given how UNC has looked through its first five games, it still seems like a tall task.
When North Carolina hosted TCU in their season-opener on September 1, it was a circus in Chapel Hill. Celebrities showed up for the game, and ESPN College GameDay made a special appearance for a Monday night game. The Tar Heels went out and were humiliated, 48-14. It should have served as a warning of things to come.
That feels like a lifetime ago, but things are crumbling in Chapel Hill for the 73-year-old coach. It feels like it’s only a matter of time before there is a mutual split. The statement Belichick and Cunningham released on Wednesday night feels like it’s giving everyone involved more time to figure things out.
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