Bill Belichick still has a chance to walk away from UNC

Bill Belichick has had a difficult time keeping the focus on football as he prepares for his first season as the head coach at North Carolina, and some Tar Heels fans might be a bit uneasy about how simple it would be for the 73-year-old to walk away.

Belichick’s contract with UNC is structured in a way that essentially allows him to change his mind with minimal financial penalty — at least relatively speaking. He is making $10 million per year and currently has a $10 million buyout. That buyout figure will decrease to $1 million on June 1.

The buyout was probably structured to protect UNC in the event that Belichick received an unexpected offer to coach an NFL team. With the hiring cycle having passed in the NFL, there is no chance of that happening this season. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk notes, however, Belichick has an easy out if he were to decide his new gig is not worth the drama, much of which he has created himself.

Belichick has constantly made headlines for his relationship with 24-year-old girlfriend Jordon Hudson. The latest wave came on Friday, when Pablo Torre reported that Hudson has been banned from UNC’s football facility. UNC officials issued a statement denying the report and said Hudson is welcome at the facility even though she is not a university employee.

The statement from UNC also said that Hudson “will continue to manage all activities related to Coach Belichick’s personal brand,” which confirms that Hudson is something of a public relations manager for the six-time Super Bowl champion.

The spotlight on Belichick’s relationship with Hudson became even brighter last month when Belichick sat down for an interview with Tony Dokoupil of “CBS Mornings.” Hudson sat nearby during the interview and was described by CBS’ narrator as a “constant presence.” She awkwardly interrupted at one point when Belichick was asked about how he and Hudson met (video here).

That interview generated so much attention that Belichick felt the need to issue a statement defending Hudson.

Here is the bottom line: If Belichick is in love with Hudson and is unhappy with the way UNC is handling his relationship, all he has to do is pay $1 million after June 1 to tear up his contract. For someone who currently has a $10 million salary and was the highest-paid coach in the NFL for years, that amount of money is insignificant.

Belichick has already been recruiting at UNC, so it would be a PR disaster for him if he were to leave the school before his first season began. Should he decide to do that, perhaps his PR manager would be able to help him handle the backlash.