Rumors That Bill Belichick May Ditch UNC For NFL Job Are Flying – But That Would Be One Of The Greatest Betrayals In Football History

No amount of legal gray area will make a difference in the eyes of the public. If Bill Belichick decides to leave UNC for the NFL before beginning his first season as the Tar Heels’ head coach, it would constitute one of the greatest betrayals in the history of football.

Speculation surrounding Belichick’s future at UNC kicked up almost immediately after he accepted the jobs. Several head coaching positions in the NFL have opened up since then, fueling the fires further. Because Belichick has only signed a term proposal, a non-binding agreement in anticipation of an official contract, some have already begun to discuss whether his buyout can be enforced. 

Assuming contractual arrangements take effect, it would cost Belichick or his next employer $10 million to get out of his UNC deal. After June 1, that number drops to $1 million. The debate over whether this can be enforced without an official contract is of no interest to UNC general manager Michael Lombardi.

“Bill Belichick committed to North Carolina. He committed it to me, he committed it to the university,” Lombardi told Pat McAfee earlier this month. “There’s been no conversation about anything. This is the best job we could have at the time of our lives, and we’re going to really embrace it and work hard to make North Carolina proud.”

The question of whether Belichick can legally make a clean exit in the eyes of the law is largely irrelevant. The fact of the matter is that he has already done enough work as the Tar Heels’ coach to impact the lives of hundreds of people. 

Belichick has already recruited dozens of players, either by recruiting them through the portal or coaxing current Tar Heels out of it. He has just begun talking with high school players and has made left several strong impressions. He has already begun building a coaching staff, hiring former NFL head coach Freddie Kitchens as tight ends coach and longtime Patriots strength and conditioning coach Moses Cabrera in the same role. His son, Steve Belichick, is leaving Washington to become UNC’s defensive coordinator, taking an assistant with him. 

As the NFL return hype has escalated, Belichick has done nothing publicly to suggest he is leaving UNC. He has commented on the matter once, stating at his introductory press conference that he didn’t take the UNC job to leave. 

The fickle nature of football’s coaching landscape makes such statements difficult to accept, but Belichick’s actions since signing his term proposal have given every indication that he is trying to build something in Chapel Hill. The damage of an exit now would be exponentially more far-reaching than it would have been a month ago. It will only get worse as he continues on in the role.

Belichick, 72, has been the news lately for his relationship with his 24-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson.

What did you think of the story? Leave a comment to let us know! Sign up for the free uSports email for the latest sports news & opinion!