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Bill Belichick's First Game At North Carolina Has Been Moved

Originally posted on The Spun | By Matt Hladik | Last updated Jan 23, 2025 4:29 PM ET

Bill Belichick is officially signed, sealed and delivered as North Carolina's head football coach.

UNC announced Thursday that Belichick and school officials have signed his contract, replacing the signed term sheet the 72-year-old coach signed when he agreed to lead the Tar Heels last month. Before Belichick inked his deal, there were rumors persisting that the former New England Patriots leader was considering a return to the NFL, despite the fact that Michael Lombardi, Belichick's close friend and general manager at UNC, said otherwise.

Already, we're seeing the type of impact Belichick can have on a college program. This afternoon, UNC announced that its 2025 season opener against TCU, originally scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 30, has been moved back two days until Monday, Sept. 1, where it will air in primetime.

Kickoff time for Belichick's Tar Heel debut is 7:30 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.

Sept. 1. All on Chapel Hill #GoHeels pic.twitter.com/pGKLFX236T
— Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) January 23, 2025

Belichick's contract with UNC is a five-year deal worth $10 million annually, with only the first three years guaranteed. His buyout to leave before June 1, 2025 is $10 million, but afterwards drops to $1 million.

That clause will only further spur speculation that Belichick will return to the NFL at some point, especially if the Heels have a stellar 2025 campaign.

As of now, Belichick has reiterated his desire to coach in college, something he's never done before but says he always wanted to try his hand at.

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 14: Head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels addresses the crowd during halftime in the game against the La Salle Explorers at the Dean E. Smith Center on December 14, 2024 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)Grant Halverson/Getty Images

"I grew up around college football with my dad and treasured those times," Belichick said at the time of his hiring. "I have always wanted to coach in college and now I look forward to building the football program in Chapel Hill."

UNC is coming off a 6-7 season. Mack Brown went 6-6 in his final year before turning the program over to interim head coach Freddie Kitchens for the team's bowl game.

The Heels lost to UConn in the Fenway Bowl. North Carolina has not won a postseason game since 2019.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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