A disappointing first season has come to an end for Bill Belichick at North Carolina, but it does not sound like the legendary coach is going anywhere.
UNC is committed to Belichick for “at least another season,” according to Greg Barnes of Inside Carolina.
Belichick’s first season in Chapel Hill ended with a 42-19 loss to NC State last weekend. Tar Heels lost three straight games to finish the year 4-8. Their loss to rival Duke was as painful as it gets for Belichick.
Despite that, UNC officials are reportedly not ready to give up on the Belichick experiment. Belichick would only owe UNC $1 million if he were to depart on his own terms, but firing him without cause before his second season would cost the school roughly $30 million.
There have been reports that Belichick is drawing interest from NFL teams, but the 73-year-old issued a statement last month putting any speculation about a return to the NFL to rest. Belichick says he is fully committed to UNC and is not going to pursue any other head coach opportunities.
Belichick was unable to find an NFL head coach job that suited him after he was pushed out by the New England Patriots two seasons ago. There have been questions about whether he even received a legitimate offer. If Belichick’s goal was to use the UNC job as a stepping stone back into the NFL, he probably has not accomplished that.
In addition to the disappointing 4-8 record, Belichick’s first season as a college head coach has also featured plenty of unexpected drama. Many feel that UNC should cut its losses before Year 2, but that seems unlikely to happen at this point.
