Even though the unranked North Carolina Tar Heels (2-3, 0-1 ACC) might be on a bye this week, that doesn’t mean the team can’t make headlines. After an explosive report on X alluded to structural failure in Chapel Hill, tension is at an all-time high.
Just five games into his college tenure, Bill Belichick, who won six Super Bowls leading Tom Brady and the Patriots, has allegedly looked into activating his buyout and getting out of town. If that were to happen, where could the 73-year-old coach land?
Where Could Bill Belichick Land If He Leaves North Carolina?
On Monday, October 8, amidst North Carolina’s bye week, reporter Ollie Connolly tweeted, “Bill Belichick has discussed buyout options with North Carolina’s hierarchy. Belichick has signalled a willingness to trigger his own $1 million buyout if he can find a soft landing with another team or in media.”
In a follow-up post, he revealed that, “Members of Belichick’s coaching staff have already spoken to other schools that are expected to be in CFB Playoff about taking on roles during the postseason. From one coach: ‘The rats are leaving the ship.’ Some staffers believe a change will come within two weeks.”
In response to these revealing posts, the university and the coach released a joint statement, signaling “full support.” Still, things aren’t looking good. While it’s apparent the Belichick-UNC experiment didn’t work, the longtime head coach might not be done just yet. Here are five options if the sides decide to move on.
Head Coach, Florida Gators
While his short tenure at North Carolina didn’t pan out the way many expected, Belichick could realistically move on to another solid program with a great NIL base, a history of excellence, and the building blocks for a postseason run.
In Gainesville, current coach Billy Napier seems to constantly be on the hot seat. While he might momentarily cool it with an occasional beatdown of a lesser quality team or a surprise upset, it’s clear that Gators fans want to see a change.
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With a history of SEC title and national championship success, Belichick could try again with Florida, hoping to maintain the same pieces Napier brought in, while padding it with transfer portal players. Florida also has natural recruiting pipelines, something that would significantly help the 73-year-old, who has struggled with that aspect of the college game.
Head Coach, UMass Minutemen
One of the biggest criticisms of Belichick’s time in Chapel Hill has been that it is simply too big a program to lead Year 1 — even Deion Sanders had to work his way from Jackson State to Colorado. As nice as it is to have the facilities, boosters, and NIL that UNC has, taking over a smaller team would come with fewer expectations and a longer leash.
In Amherst, Massachusetts, the team and its surrounding program are, for lack of a better term, not great. Currently 0-2 in Year 1 of HC Joe Harasymiak, the Minutemen might jump at an opportunity to bring in a legend like Belichick, especially a local New England legend.
While his teams might not be competing for a national championship, he could take the program-building aspect a little slower, building from a bowl team to a MAC contender to eventually a Group of Five contender. It would certainly help that Belichick is deeply intertwined with the state of Massachusetts and the area.
NFL Return
At the end of the day, Belichick might just decide coaching college football isn’t for him. From NIL deals and maintaining students’ grades and GPAs to college football’s significant talent gap and the high expectations set by fanbases, this game is totally different from the NFL.
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As the NFL enters Week 6, several teams are already seeing their coaches be put on the hot seat. Bad situations in New York with the Giants, Miami with the Dolphins, and Tennessee with the Titans could mean that the Super Bowl-winning coach might just return to the pro ranks.
While his North Carolina tenure definitely soured a few, some franchises might look to hit a homerun hire and start over in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Broadcast Booth
Likely the most realistic option for Belichick, the coach might either decide he’s done coaching or just wants to take some time off while remaining in the game. Like his longtime quarterback, Tom Brady, Belichick would be a great fit on a panel or in the broadcast booth — it’s obvious he has an immense amount of football knowledge.
Belichick’s longtime coaching friend and peer, Nick Saban, has also made a second career in sports media. After decades of coaching, coaches like these have all the information and nuggets available to bring a new angle to football watching.
The companies that Belichick could join range from CBS and FOX to ESPN and even Amazon Prime. Of these options, CBS could be a good fit — historically, the station has a relationship with AFC teams, so this pairing could work.
Additionally, ESPN has been known to “throw the bank” at certain personalities, so he could end up with a mega deal on one of their panels.
Retirement
Let’s face it, Belichick is 73 years old. He has been coaching in some form or fashion since 1975 — 50 years ago. While his time at North Carolina hasn’t been the most graceful “last dance,” the coach might take this as a sign that his coaching career is over.
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Currently dating 24-year-old former beauty queen Jordon Hudson, Belichick might just want to ride off into the sunset and finally have weekends off. In UNC’s first bye week, the couple was seen in Nantucket. The two might decide to move there, stay out of the public spotlight, and finally enjoy the fruits of their labors.
This scenario could also potentially lead to Belichick promoting his son, current DC Steve Belichick, to the head coach, similar to Bruce Pearl retiring from Auburn basketball’s coaching job and handing it to his son.