After reports surfaced questioning Bill Belichick’s future at North Carolina on Wednesday, the head coach and athletic department released a joint statement, in which Belichick said he is “fully committed” to the Tar Heels.
“I’m fully committed to UNC Football and the program we’re building here,” Belichick said in the statement. The university said that Belichick has the school’s “full support.”
Statements from Carolina Athletics. pic.twitter.com/g8zn6WoxTW
— UNC Tar Heels (@GoHeels) October 9, 2025
In a report from 247Sports, UNC had discussions about potential exit strategies for Belichick after his 2-3 start to the season, which includes no wins against Power 4 programs and being outscored 120-33. The main concern was how to reduce the buyout on his contract, per the report. The report also states that a player was injured during the spring but was told upon returning to fall camp that he was no longer part of the team and couldn’t use the facilities for rehabilitation.
The Carolina program also came under scrutiny after an assistant cornerbacks coach was suspended following the Week 6 loss to Clemson for allegations of extra benefits, after supplying a player’s family members with sideline passes for a game.
North Carolina student body president Adolfo Alvarez told The Athletic on Wednesday night that reports of dysfunction within the program were troubling and required transparency from the school leaders.
“I do think that the university should launch an independent review of the culture that’s happening within the team, in the locker room, because I think that there should be zero tolerance for non-compliance,” Alvarez said.
Alvarez stressed his main concern was the well-being of the players.
“Even though sometimes student-athletes can be seen as young professional players, at the end of the day, they are students, they’re young, and they are part of our community,” Alvarez said. “They’re under a lot of pressure and they’re very often under the national media circus. Especially right now with coach Belichick. That shouldn’t come at the cost of their well-being, and their families also deserve to feel included, and they deserve to feel like they’re getting the same consistency that UNC was known for under our last coach.”
UNC hired Belichick last December to fill the vacancy left by Mack Brown, the winningest coach in the school’s history. Brown was fired just before the end of a tumultuous 2024 regular season.
Belichick joined UNC after he agreed to a five-year deal valued at $50 million ($10 million per year). The first three years are fully guaranteed if the school fires him without cause before the end of 2027. If Belichick decides to leave on his own, he owes the school a $1 million buyout. If he had left before June 1, he would’ve owed $10 million — a provision meant to protect UNC in the event Belichick had a change of heart and opted to return to the NFL.
Belichick, the longtime NFL coach, left the New England Patriots after the 2023 season and joined the college ranks for the first time in his coaching career. During his 24 seasons with the Patriots, Belichick won six Super Bowls while paired with legendary quarterback Tom Brady. Belichick amassed 333 wins, including games in the regular season and playoffs, and is 14 victories away from tying Don Shula for the most by an NFL head coach.
North Carolina is off this week and will next play Cal for a Friday, Oct. 17 showdown on the West Coast.
