Did UNC really think that firing Mack Brown and scooching in NFL star Bill Belichick would solve all their problems? Fifty million dollars. That’s the price North Carolina placed on belief, and now that costly gamble is facing serious scrutiny. Power conference rivals like TCU, Central Florida, and Clemson have dominated the Tar Heels, who are struggling with a 2–3 record. After the recent 38-10 loss to Clemson, many fans furiously left Kenan Stadium early as the Tigers grabbed a 28-point lead.

Sure, he brought in 70 new players through recruiting and transfers. But the expectation was that Belichick’s experience would elevate the program. So far, the results suggest otherwise. And especially when they put a $10M price tag on Belichick annually. On the October 5 episode of Josh Pate’s College Football Show, he pointed out how things have turned sour for UNC. “North Carolina is a disaster.” Pate added, “But even I have to believe that Mack Brown was somewhere yesterday in a very comfy recliner, cashing a massive buyout check with a smirk on his face, knowing good and well he could do infinitely better in 2025 at North Carolina than Bill Belichick can and will.”

Mack Brown was let go with a $2.8 million buyout, covering the remaining portion of his contract. Belichick’s contract, by contrast, is far more substantial. His $50 million deal guarantees payment for the first three years, ensuring at least $30 million, regardless of performance. “Maybe money is not a real thing to North Carolina, but you’re paying 10 million of it in this economy, paying Bill Belichick to just, I don’t know, kind of mess around on your dime on your time that I don’t know. I thought North Carolina was a prouder program than that,” Pate added.

If UNC wanted out before December 2027, they’d owe him the full salary owed up to that point. And if Belichick voluntarily walks away before June 1, 2025, he’d owe the university a $10 million buyout. But after that, his buyout drops to $1 million. It’s the first week of October now, and look who has the privilege. The UNC’s 2025 athletic budget falls roughly in the $185.4 million mark, which is a major increase from the previous year. The jump in football spending, plus expected new payments to players under upcoming NCAA revenue-sharing rules, meant the school had to dig deeper.

On top of that, paying a hefty sum of $10M annually to a coach sucks up a lot of it. But that’s not even the point; the point is that the coach isn’t even producing any results. So, it’s a major waste of public money. At first, you had a controversial entry in Chapel Hill, right? With all the secret meetings and private conversations in the boardroom. That, in turn, raised serious allegations about Belichick being an illegal hire at Chapel Hill. And then on top of everything, what is your answer as a public servant? The combined score of 120-33!

Former students’ frustration doubled down on Bill Belichick’s struggles

The 2025 season has been a wake-up call for UNC fans. And the 38-10 loss to Clemson made it even more difficult. The Tar Heels trailed 35-3 at the break, watching helplessly as Clemson executed one jaw-dropping play after another. This collapse was a glaring symptom of the program’s struggles under Bill Belichick in his rookie season as head coach. UNC alums are fed up, and the frustration has boiled over publicly.

That’s when former Tar Heel athlete Tre Boston took to Twitter with a sarcastic plea. “It shouldn’t be a Player on this team with NIL money outside of 1-3 players. My Gawddd, this is horrible!” Boston writes on X. “Bring back $400 Meal Checks! No way this is the talent getting paid. Is it Coaching or Talent I honestly don’t know. #HelpUs.” His frustration echoed the sentiment of about 50,000 fans who have essentially given up hope.

This raises crucial questions, where all the NIL money that was boosted from $4 million to $20 million this year, and over 70 new players, including 40 transfers and 30 freshmen, have gone. Now, let’s face the reality for a second: Belichick inherited a mess. He himself cleared this on national television that he missed several recruiting classes and that the cupboard was pretty much empty when he arrived. Only a handful of holdovers like linebacker Amare Campbell and offensive lineman Aidan Banfield stayed.

And now, as the wins are coming only against FCS programs, while FBS opponents are exposing the gap in talent and cohesion, it doesn’t really help.