Despite reports to the contrary, Bill Belichick isn’t leaving North Carolina.
At least not yet.
Late Wednesday night, the 6-time Super Bowl champion head coach and Tar Heels athletic department simultaneously issued statements expressing their commitment to each other. The statements came just hours after multiple reports indicating that Belichick’s time in Chapel Hill might soon be coming to an end, with 247Sports’ Andrew Jones stating that the two sides had begun to explore a potential exit strategy and The Guardian’s Ollie Connolly reporting that they had discussed contract buyout options.
As the reports made the rounds, North Carolina understandably felt compelled the quell the speculation.
“I’m fully committed to UNC Football and the program we’re building here,” Belichick’s statement reads.
“Coach Belichick has the full support of the Department of Athletics and University,” UNC director of athletics Bubba Cunningham added.
That the Tar Heels felt the need to issue such statements less than two months into the 2025 season tells you just about everything you need to know about how Belichick’s debut campaign has gone thus far.
Following an offseason full of headlines regarding the 73-year-old head coach’s relationship with his 24-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, North Carolina has stumbled to a 2-3 start through its first five games. Currently in the midst of a bye week, the Tar Heels are riding a two-game losing streak, with their three losses on the season having come by a combined 87 points.
The negative press hasn’t been limited to UNC’s on-field performance either, with a recent report from Raleigh NBC affiliate WRAL indicating no shortage of dysfunction behind the scenes, including alleged NCAA violations. That sentiment was seemingly confirmed by Connolly — who was one of the first people to break the story regarding North Carolina’s hiring of Bill Belichick — who reported that members of the Tar Heels staff have already begun eyeing opportunities with other programs.
But if Belichick and Cunningham’s statements are to be believed, then all of this is much ado about nothing. Still, it seems unlikely that two boilerplate statements will be enough to slow down the bad buzz that has continued to build throughout the first 10 months of the Belichick era.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.