North Carolina made a significant financial commitment to lure legendary NFL coach Bill Belichick to Chapel Hill albeit with a shorter- than-industry-standard contract length.

UNC and the 72-year old Belichick agreed to a three-year, $30 million contract, according to The Athletic. That is a significant financial upgrade from the $5 million UNC paid Mack Brown, a national championship-winning coach, in his final season at the school. 

Only seven coaches in FBS made over $10 million in 2024, a group that does not even include Ohio State coach Ryan Day or LSU coach Brian Kelly. 

The three-year contract raised eyebrows within the college football industry, though. No coaching agent CBS Sports talked to in the immediate aftermath could remember a new hire only getting a three-year contract in recent memory. The industry standard has become five years, perhaps six if the coach is particularly desirable, for recruiting purposes. Purdue recently gave new coach Barry Odom a six-year contract, for instance. 

“The three-year deal is worse,” a coaching agent told CBS Sports. “Not sure kids will go there knowing he is likely gone soon. But that’s the beauty of the portal.”

Said another coaching agent: “In the portal era, maybe coaching stability doesn’t matter as much as it used to but it still matters some. I just don’t see how it works.”

The legendary eight-time Super Bowl-winning coach has never coached in college football before committing to take over UNC’s program. The former New England Patriots coach has reportedly been interested in a succession plan that would eventually pass the job to his son, Steve, who currently serves as Jedd Fisch’s defensive coordinator at Washington. 

Belichick will replace the 73-year-old Brown who was fired after going 44-33 in six seasons at UNC. It was Brown’s second stint leading the UNC program after a successful run 1988-97 that included six bowl appearances. 

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