It was never realistic for UNC to pull the plug on Belichick after one year, both because of optics (lots of important people having to admit they were wrong) and, more importantly, money. It would have cost around $29 million to buy out its head coach and his staff. Unfortunately, that number won’t go down for another two years, as UNC fully guaranteed his first three years.
But at some point, the price tag becomes secondary to the continued reputational stains, fan apathy and, now with Lombardi, legitimate internal issues. Worth noting: Cunningham retired after last year, and his replacement, Steve Newmark, should be fully empowered to make whatever changes he deems necessary.
