The University of North Carolina got its white whale Wednesday.
Legendary NFL head coach Bill Belichick finalized a deal with the school to become its next head football coach. The Athletic reported Belichick inked a three-year, $30 million deal to join the Tar Heels. ESPN’s Adam Schefter later reported a five-year deal.
North Carolina won’t be shelling out a big amount of money to just Belichick, though. The Tar Heels will also make a major financial change in one key area with Belichick now onboard.
According to Matt Hayes of USA Today, North Carolina will increase its football NIL package from $4 million to $20 million.
That major step up would put North Carolina in line with some of the titans of college football. According to Yahoo Sports, Texas ($22.2 million), Ohio State ($20.2m) and LSU ($20.1m) are the top three schools with the largest NIL packages at the moment. The Tar Heels would now place fourth on that list.
That massive financial commitment will be a big help to Belichick as he looks to get the North Carolina football program, which hasn’t claimed an ACC title since 1980, into national relevancy and compete with the perennial college football powers. The upgrade in NIL money should certainly help Belichick lure high-level recruits to Chapel Hill.
To overlook that part of the program, Belichick brought along longtime friend and former co-worker with the Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots Mike Lombardi. Lombardi will serve as North Carolina’s football program general manager, according to VSiN.
