New England Patriots
“Coach Belichick has the full support of the Department of Athletics and University.”
As rumors and reports continue to swirl around Bill Belichick’s future as head coach of University of North Carolina football, the former Patriots head coach released an official statement Wednesday night reaffirming his commitment to the program.
In an official release posted by UNC Athletics, both Belichick and North Carolina Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham offered up brief comments trying to dispel the discourse that Belichick’s days at Chapel Hill are coming to a close.
“I’m fully committed to UNC Football and the program we’re building here,” Belichick said in his release.
“Coach Belichick has the full support of the Department of Athletics and University,” Cunningham added.
Both Belichick and Cunningham’s comments come hours after a pair of reports painted a dour picture of Belichick’s future with the Tar Heels amid a 2-3 start and reported recruiting violations.
Ollie Connolly of The Guardian posted on X that Belichick “has discussed buyout options with North Carolina’s hierarchy.” Connolly added that Belichick has presented “a willingness to trigger his own $1 million buyout if he can find a soft landing with another team or in media.”
Per Connolly, “some [UNC] staffers believe a change will come within two weeks,” with members of Belichick’s coaching personnel already speaking to other college football programs about opportunities for later this postseason.
Another report from 247Sports.com’s Andrew Jones on Wednesday noted that “potential exit strategy discussions” have started at UNC over Belichick’s future — with the university’s focus being finding an avenue to “eliminate or minimize Belichick’s buyout” after the university signed him to a five-year, $50 million contract in December 2024.
Sign up for Patriots updates🏈
Get breaking news and analysis delivered to your inbox during football season.
