Report: NFL Coaches, Execs 'Sad' Belichick Joined UNC; 'Laughed' at Contract Buyout

Some coaches and executives around the NFL were "sad" to see Bill Belichick officially leave the league behind to coach North Carolina, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Schefter reported Sunday on SportsCenter that there's also a sense the NFL door isn't closed on Belichick for good, citing his buyout with the Tar Heels as one example.

The NFL insider said teams were "laughing at the number, laughing at the money." Trying to hire Belichick before June 1, 2025 would cost $10 million, but that figure falls to just $1 million on June 1 and beyond.

During his introductory press conference, Belichick said of his new job that he "didn't come here to leave."

ESPN's Seth Wickersham also detailed how the 72-year-old steadily became disenchanted with the NFL and saw college football as a more attractive spot to continue his coaching career.

Despite what Belichick said and how he wants to sell this decision, the language of his buyout seems to tell a different story. Surely somebody who never envisioned a return to the NFL wouldn't have bothered to leave himself with a straightforward exit plan before he ever coached a game in his new gig.

Schefter's report pointed to how NFL teams don't see Belichick's buyout as an obstacle if an owner or general manager is interested enough.

All of the conversations about Belichick's true goals could all be moot given how little interest he received during the last NFL hiring cycle. Wickersham wrote the Atlanta Falcons were the only franchise to make a serious pursuit, and they still hired Raheem Morris anyway.

ESPN's Rich Cimini reported Saturday the six-time Super Bowl champion "personally reached out to inquire" about the New York Jets' vacancy. Accepting UNC's offer shows how advanced those conversations got.