How Bill Belichick could spurn North Carolina and return to the NFL in 2025

Bill Belichick didn't want to wait and see if he'd be locked out of the NFL's hiring cycle for a second straight year. Instead, he returned to the NCAA for the first time since his playing days at Wesleyan in the 1970s. In December, he took over for Mack Brown at the University of North Carolina.

The Tar Heels took a big swing bringing a 72-year-old to the college ranks. Belichick came prepared -- reportedly bringing a massive tome outlining how he plans to reshape the good-not-great program. So far, he's played the part of an FBS coach well. He smiled his way through a welcoming press conference in which UNC staff gushed over his arrival. He smiled his way through recruit visits.

But while he's wearing Carolina blue and reminiscing about the time a baby Bill once blurted out "beat Dook," there's still a chance he never coaches a game in Chapel Hill.

Belichick famously spurned the New York Jets after he was named Bill Parcells's successor. His tenure lasted less than 24 hours after he wrote his resignation on a napkin and jumped ship to take over the New England Patriots. This move paid off handsomely.

It's possible, if unlikely, he could do the same in North Carolina. NFL teams have begun their coaching searches after Black Monday. Six teams need new head coaches. The Patriots probably aren't interested, but one notable former Patriot could be.

Tom Brady is a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, who canned Antonio Pierce after a single season as the team's permanent head coach. Brady is expected to have a significant role in picking the team's next play-caller.

He's reportedly already reached out to Belichick. Per NFL.com insider Tom Pelissero.

North Carolina placed a $10 million buyout on Belichick's contract, but that may not be a significant deterrent in a league where coaching salaries can double that. That buyout also drops to just $1 million after June 1 -- probably a moot point, but something that could be worked around for a team intent on bending the rules and hiring a future Hall of Famer.

Any team landing Belichick is probably getting a two-fer. His son Steve left his position as Washington's defensive coordinator to team back up with his father -- the two shared offices as part of the Patriots' staff starting in 2012. Leaving Chapel Hill likely means bringing the younger Belichick with him in a vital role.

Belichick, for the record, says he isn't interested in any NFL roles -- not that public statements have ever stopped a coach from changing course in the past.

In short, Belichick is snug in North Carolina but not in a way that prevents him from leaving. Any team that wants him -- likely the Raiders or Jacksonville Jaguars, who'd previously staked their future on an aging Tom Coughlin and perpetually fail to learn from their mistakes -- would have to pay an eight-figure buyout, give him various roster building controls and likely bring his son on board as the top defensive assistant.

That's a lot to give up for a coach who won four games in his final NFL season to date. But there's no one else on the semi-open market with eight Super Bowl rings.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: How Bill Belichick could spurn North Carolina and return to the NFL in 2025