Belichick Hired His Son as Highest Paid Assistant Coach in UNC History Without Trustee Approval

Bill Belichick hired his son, Steve Belichick, as defensive coordinator at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, but he circumvented the university’s Board of Trustees, signing his son for a $1.3 million base salary. 

According to Essentially Sports, the traditional hiring pathway for athletics staff begins with the athletics director, then the head coach. From there, candidates are voted on by the Board of Trustees and given final approval by the university chancellor or the UNC system president. This system is especially important when approving salaries that are larger than that of the Chancellor’s base pay.

However, in a move that has some crying 'nepotism,' it appears that the elder Belichick bent these rules to land his son a gig as the highest-paid assistant coach in UNC history. 

The James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal reported that sometimes the complex hiring process described above does not apply to assistant coaches. In those cases, head coaches have more flexibility to hire their top choice, but when the assistant coach is granted a seven-figure salary, it should have been brought to the Board of Trustees for a vote. Despite skipping that step, it does not appear that Belichick will face any disciplinary action for the hire. 

“It is clear that Bill Belichick had more sway in hiring his son than did those in the normal chain of oversight,” wrote Reagan Allen. 

Following Belichick’s appointment, the UNC system president, Peter Hans, did issue a directive limiting the board of trustees’ authority over hiring processes at UNC – Chapel Hill. The board of trustees can no longer negotiate contracts on behalf of athletic directors or coaches, and Hans must personally approve all hiring decisions of athletics department employees.

Back in June, UNC athletic director Bubba Cunningham addressed rumors swirling on Steve Belichick’s contract, before it was made public. But Cunningham focused on the younger Belichick’s future chances of ascending to the head coach’s position, not his salary.   

With the addition of Steve Belichick to the Tarheels’ coaching staff, UNC is now paying nearly $12 million in salaries each year for Belichick’s handpicked staff.