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Six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick is reportedly "making people nervous" that his gig as head coach of the University of North Carolina football team could be over before it truly gets started, Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio reported on Monday (January 13).
Belichick, 72, has been slow to make coaching staff hires during his first month on the UNC job despite having a $10 million budget, as well as an additional $1 million for strength and conditioning. The veteran coach has fired former Cleveland Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens as his offensive coordinator; his own son, Steve Belichick, as defensive coordinator; Matt Lombardi, the son of longtime friend and colleague Mike Lombardi as an offensive assistant; former CFL coach Chris Jones as a defensive assistant; Billy Miller as a general position assistant; and Moses Cabrera as strength and conditioning coach.
The speculation comes amid NFL Network's Tom Pelissero's report that several NFL teams inquired about whether Belichick would reconsider his move to college football. Las Vegas Raiders minority owner Tom Brady, who played quarterback for Belichick for 20 seasons with the New England Patriots, had reportedly been in contact with his former coach prior to the Raiders' firing former head coach Antonio Pierce last Tuesday (January 7).
Pelissero reported that at least one other team has continued to check on Belichick's status. There are currently six teams -- the New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars -- with head coaching vacancies since the Patriots hired Mike Vrabel, who played under Belichick in New England, as their next head coach and the Dallas Cowboys opted not to re-sign Mike McCarthy.
"Bill Belichick's UNC contract includes a $10 million buyout if he leaves prior to June 1, 2025, though it's not entirely clear whether it would apply if he returns to the NFL in the coming weeks. Six NFL HC jobs are open: #Jets, #Saints, #Bears, #Patriots, #Jaguars and #Raiders," Pelissero wrote on his X account.
Last month, the Athletic senior college football writer Chris Vannini reported that Belichick's five-year, $50 million deal with UNC had a $10 million buyout should he decide to leave, but only through June 1, 2025, at which point it will decrease to $1 million. Belichick, who interviewed for the Atlanta Falcons' vacancy last year after 24 seasons with the Patriots, is the third-winningest coach in NFL history and one of seven NFL head coaches to have spent more than 20 years with one franchise following George Halas (40) of the Chicago Bears, Curly Lambeau (29) of the Green Bay Packers, Tom Landry (29) of the Dallas Cowboys, Don Shula (26) of the Miami Dolphins, Steven Owen (24) of the New York Giants and Chuck Noll of the Pittsburgh Steelers, all of whom have been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.