During his introductory press conference at Chapel Hill, new Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick was asked whether he’d jump back to the NFL after a year or two in college.
“I didn’t come here to leave,” Belichick said, to applause in the room.
Beyond the fact that it would have been impossible in that setting to say, “I’d love to,” actions always speak louder than words. And the only action that matters in this case is the negotiation of his contract with UNC.
Belichick negotiated a buyout that drops from $10 million to $1 million on June 1, 2025. That puts him in play for the 2026 hiring cycle, if anyone from the NFL wants to hire him.
For now, no one does. Right or wrong, it’s crickets for Belichick from pro football.
People in Belichick’s orbit are perplexed. Others in league circles point to the lack of interest in Belichick as proof that, as one source estimated, two thirds of …