North Carolina clearly wants to hire Bill Belichick, but they don’t seem to want to give in to all of his demands.
ESPN released a report on Wednesday detailing some “issues that both sides need to work through” before anything becomes official — despite some other outlets saying it’s a done deal.
The Tar Heels reportedly have placed the “ball in Belichick’s court” amid their ongoing negotiations, taking issue with his potential salary, resources for the staff and reporting structure, the school’s resources relating to name, image and likeness, and the potential role for his son and current Washington defensive coordinator Steve Belichick.
Other than that, things are going swimmingly!
Bill Belichick, whose interest was first reported last week, reportedly sent an “organizational bible” to North Carolina — which outlined structure, payment plans and staffing choices. The Tar Heels reportedly would be agreeing to salary minimums by position by approving the move and would have to hire two staff members — a coaching staff and a recruitment staff, the latter of which will be run by a sitting college general manager who would require a buyout.
The NCAA transfer portal opened Monday, which leaves the Tar Heels’ roster in flux as they await a decision.
Belichick confirmed he had “a couple of good conversations” with North Carolina chancellor Lee H. Roberts on Monday’s episode of the “Pat McAfee Show” — responding to reports surfaced that he interviewed for the position. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that he met with North Carolina officials for five hours on Sunday.
North Carolina’s search includes veteran NFL coach Steve Wilks, Tulane coach Jon Sumrall, Georgia defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann, Army coach Jeff Monken and Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
Smith and Sumrall are said to be out of contention, with the former taking his own name out and the latter agreeing to an extension in principle.
The clock is ticking for Belichick, who now has the ball in his court. Is he willing to pivot, or is this thing going to die before it ever becomes a reality?
