Report: Bill Belichick To North Carolina ‘Almost Done’

Update: 

ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Chris Low report North Carolina is continuing to negotiate with former Patriots HC Bill Belichick but there remain issues to work through. 

Thamel and Low list those issues as the potential role for Belichick’s son, Washington DC Stephen Belichick, resources for NIL, the staff and Belichick’s salary, and the reporting structure. 

Per sources to ESPN, “the ball is in Belichick’s court” right now and the university is on board with hiring him, with a resolution expected in the near future. 

The Athletic’s Brendan Marks has also heard that hurdles remain to a deal that could be resolved as soon as today. He also notes that a session for the school board of trustees has not been called yet, which would be needed to approve the hire. 

According to Albert Breer and Pat Forde, the two sides have worked through the financial terms over the past 24 hours and hope to get a deal done today. 

CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones says there’s growing sentiment at UNC that a deal is close. Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz says there’s been progress made since yesterday and cites a source saying, “It’s getting closer and closer.”

According to Dianna Russini, a source close to former Patriots HC Bill Belichick texted her this morning “almost done” regarding talks with North Carolina about its head coaching vacancy. 

Russini adds this may or may not come together by the end of today. As of yesterday, reports were this was a fluid situation, with varying and sometimes contradictory reports about whose court the ball was in for a decision. 

Talks between the two sides have been going on since last week, and at this point Belichick is the leading candidate for the Tar Heels after other notable names dropped out. 

Belichick, 72, got his start coaching in the NFL in 1975 with the then-Baltimore Colts. He had assistant jobs with the Lions and Broncos before landing with the Giants, where he eventually rose to defensive coordinator under legendary HC Bill Parcells. 

The Browns hired Belichick as head coach in 1991 and he was in the post for five years before being fired. He rejoined Parcells as an assistant with the Patriots and left to go with him to the Jets the following year.

He was slated to replace Parcells as head coach of the Jets in 2000 but infamously resigned and was hired by the Patriots, who had to give up a first-round pick to the Jets as compensation. Belichick has been in New England ever since, winning six Super Bowls in 24 years. 

For his career, Belichick has a record of 302-163 over 29 seasons (.655 W/L percentage) and has eight Super Bowl rings, six of them as head coach of the Patriots. He’s a three-time winner of the AP Coach of the Year award. 

We’ll have more on Belichick as the news is available.