Bill Belichick calls reports of UNC exit ‘categorically false’

Bill Belichick used Monday’s press conference to deny reports that he’s already looking for a way out of North Carolina.

The Tar Heels head coach told reporters at UNC that speculation about him exploring an exit from Chapel Hill is “categorically false,” just a few days after multiple outlets reported both sides were discussing potential buyout options less than 10 months into his tenure.

“There’s zero truth to any of that,” Belichick said. “Glad I’m here. We’re working toward our goals and the process. [I] have great support from Chancellor [Lee] Roberts, Bubba [Cunningham], Steve [Newmark], and so forth, Mike Lombardi. Those people have all been great, and I appreciate all their help in everything.”

The press conference came after last week’s wave of reports suggesting Belichick’s time in Chapel Hill might already be finished. Ollie Connolly of The Read Option reported that Belichick had discussed buyout options with the university and signaled a willingness to trigger his own $1 million buyout if he found another opportunity. Andrew Jones of TarHeel247 reported that “exit strategy discussions” had begun within UNC’s athletic department.

Both Belichick and athletic director Bubba Cunningham released statements Wednesday night pushing back on the reports. But Monday marked the first time Belichick addressed the situation directly with reporters.

“There were some things that were reported that were just totally, factually inaccurate,” Belichick said regarding why he put out a statement. “So, I wanted to make sure we cleared those up.”

Belichick invoked Bill Walsh’s “the score will take care of itself” philosophy when describing his approach, saying, “you just gotta keep working and grinding away, and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

The exit speculation followed a disastrous week for the program. WRAL published an investigation describing a “toxic culture” and “complete disaster” behind the scenes in Chapel Hill, citing sources with direct knowledge of the program. The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman reported that cornerbacks coach Armond Hawkins was suspended for providing improper benefits to players and their families. Multiple reports also surfaced about fights in the locker room and a divided roster split between Belichick’s transfers and holdovers from the Mack Brown era.

North Carolina sits at 2-3 following a 38-10 blowout loss to Clemson. The Tar Heels have lost all three games against power conference opponents by a combined 87 points while ranking fourth-worst nationally in total offense and third-worst among power conference teams in scoring offense. The program also canceled its planned Hulu docuseries that was supposed to chronicle Belichick’s first season, just weeks after announcing it in August.

Whether Monday’s denials do anything to quiet the noise remains to be seen. UNC returns to action Friday night against California, looking to avoid a third consecutive loss and another week of questions about whether the 73-year-old coach will make it through his first season in Chapel Hill.