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Bill Belichick and Michael Malone earn a combined $18,330,000 at UNC, ranking second in college sports salaries. Alabama tops the list with a combined $19,750,000 for its coaches.
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In Chapel Hill, North Carolina, you'll find two of professional sports' most accomplished coaches: UNC head football Bill Belichick and head men's basketball coach Michael Malone.
As you can imagine, the Tar Heels paid a pretty penny to land both coaches. Belichick and Malone make a combined $18,330,000, the second-highest figure amongst collegiate football and men's basketball programs?
Alabama, which pays Nate Oats (men's basketball) and Kalen DeBoer (football) a combined $19,750,000, has the highest combined figure behind these money-making programs. Indiana (third), LSU, Georgia, Texas, USC (Southern Cal.), Clemson, Kansas and Tennessee round out the Top 10.
Bill Belichick and Michael Malone earn a combined total of $18,330,000 at the University of North Carolina.
Alabama's men's basketball and football coaches have the highest combined salaries at $19,750,000.
UNC finished with a 4-8 record in Bill Belichick's first season, marking the program's worst performance since 2018.
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North Carolina hired Belichick in December 2024, hoping his eight Super Bowls and 333 wins translated seamlessly to the collegiate level. UNC laid a massive dud in Belichick's first season, struggling to a 4-8 finish, the program's worst mark since Larry Fedora's final season in 2018.
The Tar Heels fired Hubert Davis five days after their 19-point collapse against VCU in both teams' NCAA Tournament opener. Going an unconventional route for their program, North Carolina landed Malone, who turned the NBA's Denver Nuggets into a Western Conference contender and 2023 NBA Champion.
Malone currently faces a tall task, essentially rebuilding UNC's entire roster from scratch. The Tar Heels landed a pair of top-ranked transfers in Terrence Brown and Neoklis Avdalas, while also getting promising guys in Matt Able and Maxim Logue. Henri Veesaar recently declared for the NBA Draft, leaving North Carolina in desperate need of a starting center.
If the UNC football program's offseason activity is any indication of its 2026 success, signs are pointing in the right direction. ESPN's Bill Connelly praised the Tar Heels for landing several, high-profile transfers, such as quarterback Billy Edwards and linebacker Derek McDonald.
Money talks, but results matter. North Carolina needs results on the field and court this fall, with fans desperately craving championship-level success.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: Bill Belichick, Michael Malone only trail Alabama in FB/MBB salaries