Bill Belichick buyout options: What UNC football coach’s contract says

Two high-level sources at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have refuted a recent report suggesting the school was exploring an exit strategy for football coach Bill Belichick.

Belichick says he’s ‘fully committed’ to UNC, and the university has backed him. But WRAL’s reports describing a divided locker room have brought new scrutiny to the Tar Heels’ football program — and raised questions among some fans over whether Belichick should be fired.

WRAL looked at the specifics of Belichick’s employment agreement to examine how – or if — that’s even possible. Here are the specifics:

Belichick can buy himself out

Belichick can buy out his UNC contract — but doing so would cost him. If he were to end it himself, he would have to pay $1 million in damages within 180 days.

Oftentimes, organizations include this kind of language to prevent a coach from leaving too soon, and to recoup recruiting costs for a replacement should that happen anyway. Belichick would have had to pay $10 million if he were to have terminated the contract before June 1, 2025.

UNC can end Belichick's contract without cause

UNC can terminate Belichick's contract for just about any reason. But that would cost the university even more.

Belichick is entitled to about $30 million total if he’s fired without cause. The first three years of Belichick’s five-year, $50 million contract are guaranteed.

If UNC decided to fire Belichick without cause, the university would owe him everything he was set to earn up until Dec. 31, 2027. Since Belichick’s contract shows he makes $10 million annually, his guaranteed payment is three years for $30 million.

What if UNC finds cause for termination? 

The university is basically allowed to end Belichick’s contract if it finds that he committed some sort of major violation. That could be anything from violating NCAA or athletic conference rules to treating players poorly to failing to show up for work or a host of other violations of his contract. Belichick is also responsible for the actions of his players and staff.  

If he were to be fired for cause, the university wouldn’t be on the hook for any salary or bonuses or supplemental income after the contract is terminated. 

Durham-based civil lawyer J. Andrew Fine has a background in athlete-related cases. He spoke with WRAL News on the legal complexities of firing a high-profile coach.

“If they do fire him for cause, they would need to show that he committed some sort of egregious act or that he was engaged in behavior that constituted some sort of lack of institutional control,” Fine said.

Fine said in many cases, a lack of institutional control is made up of lesser violations. He mentioned recruiting violations or situations where players received impermissible benefits.

“In the past, it's typically been something that the NCAA will raise as opposed to a school raising it as a way to get out of a contract,” Fine said.

A decade ago, long before Belichick arrived, the NCAA previously found a lack of institutional control in the UNC football program. In 2015, the NCAA found that UNC directed student-athletes to certain courses within the Department of African and African-American Studies, arranged assignments for those student-athletes and recommended grades for them.

In response, the university admitted to those allegations, but said the NCAA did not have the authority to issue a penalty for them.

UNC and Belichick could agree to part ways

Belichick and UNC could just agree to go in separate ways. That could take any form and would be handled with some sort of written agreement.  

UNC cornerbacks coach suspended

WRAL Sports’ reporting led UNC to act and have discussions. It includes the decision to suspend Belichick's cornerbacks coach Armond Hawkins for an allegation of improperly distributing sideline passes for the Oct. 4 game against Clemson.

On Thursday, Carolina Athletics released a statement about Hawkins' suspension.

“North Carolina assistant football coach Armond Hawkins has been suspended for violating NCAA rules related to extra benefits,” the statement reads. “He will remain on leave as the Department of Athletics further investigates other potential actions detrimental to the team and university.”

Sources said Hawkins was not at practice this week and that players were told it was due to quote "personal business." 

WRAL Sports reached out to Armond Hawkins on Thursday. While he’s not commenting on the suspension.

Other buyouts UNC would need to pay

Belichick’s buyout figure doesn’t represent buyouts for general manager Mike Lombardi or the UNC coaching staff. Lombardi signed a three-year, $4.5 million contract in July.