Bill Belichick Coaching History & Bio

Bill Belichick is the most successful head coach in NFL history with 6 Super Bowl championships to his credit. But in December 2024, at the age of 72, he took on a new challenge by accepting his first college job with the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Bill Belichick teams coached	Years coached	Bill Belichick coaching record
Cleveland Browns	1991-95	36-44 (1-1 Playoffs)
New England Patriots	2000-2023	266-121 (30-12 Playoffs)
North Carolina Tar Heels	2025-present	0-0

• 1975: Baltimore Colts – Special assistant
• 1976-77: Detroit Lions – Special teams/receivers coach
• 1978: Denver Broncos – Special teams/Defensive assistant coach
• 1979-90: New York Giants – Special teams/linebackers/defensive coordinator
• 1991-95: Cleveland Browns – Head coach
• 1996: New England Patriots – Defensive backs/Assistant head coach
• 1997-99: New York Jets – Defensive coordinator/Assistant head coach
• 2000-2023: New England Patriots – Head coach
• 2025-present: North Carolina – Head coach

Bill Belichick’s coaching history

As unnatural as it might seem for Belichick to come out of retirement at the age of 72 to take his first college job at North Carolina, the connection between the NFL’s most successful coach and the Tar Heels is understandable in at least one sense.

The two have a history.

Belichick spent 3 of the first 4 years of his life in Chapel Hill while his father, Steve, served as an assistant coach at UNC from 1953-55.

“Obviously I was too young to remember a lot of things from Carolina,” he said during an introductory press conference in which he showed off a UNC sweatshirt once owned by his dad. “But as I grew up, you hear the same story over and over again. And so one story I always heard was, ‘Billy’s first words were ‘Beat Duke.’”

Belichick’s stated goal with the Tar Heels is to run his college program with a professional model “in terms of training, developing players, running pro systems and pro techniques.” It’s a solid plan considering how well the approach worked during his unmatched tenure with the New England Patriots.

Still, it took awhile for success to catch up with him.

Belichick was a better lacrosse player during his high school career in Annapolis, Md. But he became a football savant by watching his father, who was an assistant coach at Navy at the time, break down game film.

After playing 4 seasons as a center and tight end at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn., Belichick got his first coaching job as a special assistant to Ted Marchibroda with the Baltimore Colts for $25 a week. His big break, however, came a decade later when he came under the wing of Bill Parcells with the New York Giants.

As defensive coordinator for the Giants, Belichick was hailed as the architect of the game plan that produced a 20-19 upset of the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXV, the second of 2 titles the team won during his time in New York. Belichick parlayed that victory into his first head coaching opportunity.

Although things didn’t go well with the Cleveland Browns, with only 1 playoff appearance in his 5 seasons before being fired just before the team moved to Baltimore, Belichick is credited with laying the foundation for a franchise that won a Super Bowl as the Ravens 5 seasons later.

Belichick was quickly reunited with Parcells upon his dismissal in Cleveland, first with the Patriots then with the New York Jets. When Parcells left the Jets to coach the Dallas Cowboys on Jan. 4, 2000, Belichick was named as his successor. But he only stayed on the job for less than 24 hours.

Instead of being introduced as the Jets’ new coach, he used the press conference to announce his decision not to take the job – scribbling a resignation note onto a napkin just before taking the podium. He then added to the controversy by becoming coach of the Jets’ AFC East rival, New England. Hiring Belichick cost the Patriots a first-round draft pick as compensation. 

That turned out to be a bargain, especially after Belichick used a sixth-round pick later that spring on an unheralded quarterback from Michigan named Tom Brady.

It took a gutsy decision by Belichick to stick with Brady for the 2001 playoffs after starter Drew Bledsoe returned from injury, and a controversial interpretation of the NFL’s “tuck rule” in the AFC Championship Game against the Raiders for the coach and his quarterback to deliver their first Super Bowl title together. But that started an unprecedented run that saw the Patriots go to 9 Super Bowls in an 18-season span from 2001-18.

The Patriots were never the same once Brady left for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020. Belichick eventually left the Patriots “by mutual agreement” with owner Robert Kraft following the 2023 season. In addition to winning 6 Super Bowl titles, he compiled a 266-121 record with 17 division championships and an NFL-record 11 consecutive Playoff appearances during his 24-season tenure in New England.

Despite being at an age when most coaches retire, Belichick never got coaching out of his system. Shortly after his departure from the Patriots, he interviewed for the head coaching job with the Atlanta Falcons before eventually turning his attention to the college ranks.

Asked why, at this stage of his career, Belichick would want to make such a dramatic change, the nation’s oldest FBS coach replied simply that “it beats working.”

 “I’m just going to come in here and do the best I can,” he said upon his introduction in Chapel Hill in December 2024. “We’re going to have a great program and we’ll see where the results take us.”

Bill Belichick’s coaching tree

Belichick is considered by many to be the greatest coach in NFL history. But beyond the 6 Super Bowl rings he’s earned, his most impressive accomplishment might be helping to launch the career of the coach most consider the greatest ever in the college game by hiring Nick Saban as his defensive coordinator with the Cleveland Browns. While Saban is by far the most accomplished of Belichick’s proteges, the branches of Belichick’s coaching tree have spread fruitfully throughout the NFL and college football.

• Bret Bielema (Illinois head coach)
• Romeo Crennel (Former Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs head coach)
• Rod Dowhower (Former Vanderbilt head coach)
• Kirk Ferentz (Current Iowa head coach)
• Brian Flores (Former Miami Dolphins head coach, current Minnesota Vikings head coach)
• Jedd Fisch (Former Arizona head coach, current Washington Commanders head coach)
• Al Groh (Former New York Jets, Virginia head coach)
• Pat Hill (Former Fresno State head coach)
• Joe Judge (Former New York Giants head coach, current Ole Miss senior analyst)
• Eric Mangini (Former New York Jets, former Cleveland Browns head coach)
• Peter Mangurian (Former Columbia head coach)
• Josh McDaniels (Former Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders head coach, current New England Patriots OC)
• Bill O’Brien (Former Penn State, Houston Texans head coach, current Boston College head coach)
• Matt Patricia (Former Detroit Lions head coach, current Ohio State DC)
• Nick Saban (Former Michigan State, LSU, Miami Dolphins, Alabama head coach)
• Jim Schwartz (Former Detroit Lions head coach, current Cleveland Browns DC)
• DeWayne Walker (Former New Mexico head coach)
• Charlie Weis (Former Notre Dame, Kansas head coach)
• Woody Widenhofer (Former Vanderbilt head coach)

FAQs About Bill Belichick

What is Bill Belichick's Salary?

Beichick’s base salary is only $1 million, as stipulated in the contract released publicly by UNC shortly after his hiring in December. However, the contract also calls for “supplemental income” in the amount of $9 million annually, to be paid on the final business day of the calendar year, for as long as he remains the Tar Heels’ head coach. He can also receive bonuses for winning ACC and national championships, getting his team to a bowl game or into the College Football Playoff and other thresholds.

What is the Length of Bill Belichick's Contract?

Belichick’s deal with UNC is technically for 5 seasons, but only the first 3 are guaranteed. 

What is Bill Belichick's Buyout?

Belichick’s buyout would be $10 million should he opt out or leave for another job before June 1, 2025. Beyond that, the buyout would decrease to just $1 million for the remainder of his contract, leaving the door open for an easy, inexpensive exit should he be given an opportunity to return to the NFL

Is Bill Belichick's Son UNC's Coach-in-Waiting?

There was speculation during the interview process that Belichick wanted his contract to include provisions for his son Steve to take over the program after his retirement. But that is not written into the deal. However, Steve Belichick was hired as the Tar Heels’ defensive coordinator and could eventually be in line for promotion if the Tar Heels do well under his father. Steve Belichick previously worked with Bill with the New England Patriots and has most recently served as the defensive coordinator at Washington.

Is Bill Belichick the Oldest Coach in College Football?

Yes. At 72 years old, Belichick is 8 months younger than the man he replaced at UNC, Mack Brown. He’s 3 years older than the next oldest coach in Division I, 69-year-old Kirk Ferentz of Iowa.

How old is Bill Belichick's girlfriend?

Jordon Hudson is 24 years old. The former college cheerleader and Belichick have been dating since 2023. They have made numerous public appearances together since he was hired by the Tar Heels. Among the gifts he gave her for her 24th birthday was a customized UNC jersey with her name and the No. 24 on it to commemorate her age.  Hudson recently announced on Instagram that she will be a contestant in the Miss Maine USA pageant.