Everyone knows the gamble on Belichick is yet to pan out. But the cost of getting the Patriots legend is not restricted to just one sport anymore. The fallout from the gridiron is now bleeding onto the hardwood. By going all in on football, UNC’s administration accidentally starved the exact program that put their athletic department on the map.

North Carolina has reportedly decided to remove Hubert Davis as the basketball head coach after their NCAA Tournament loss against VCU. The decision was passed down after merely four days. The athletic director and other leaders feel the program needs a fresh start to stay competitive. One big reason for this decision is money and support from donors.

The people who give money to the team stopped believing in Hubert Davis. They feel the team is not doing well enough and clearly want a change in leadership.

“There was no way the administration was going to be able to raise enough money from outside sources, especially from those who have a vested interest in the basketball team’s success, with the amount of money they give on a yearly basis,” one source close to the basketball program told OutKick.

“This was going to be a problem if Hubert was brought back for next season. We are in such a cut-throat era, and those who helped pay for the roster made it clear that they had lost faith. When that happens, it’s over. That’s the world we live in, especially nowadays, when you rely on that outside money.”

With boosters completely tapped out from funding Bill Belichick’s massive contract and his football NIL war chest, the basketball program was left fighting for scraps. When Davis started slipping, the usual donor safety net simply wasn’t there to catch him.

The Tar Heels men’s basketball program does not play second fiddle to its football counterpart, unlike many other programs. They have achieved a high-level of success spanning nearly a century, highlighted by six NCAA championships and a record 21 Final Four appearances. Even though recent years have seen a lack of success, men’s basketball still carries cultural and historical weight. It is also the alma mater for the sport’s greatest icon, Michael Jordan.

Finding a top-tier basketball replacement won’t be cheap, which is a massive headache for an athletic department that’s already stretched thin. UNC is currently locked into paying Belichick around $10 million a year for a wildly underwhelming return on investment.

The team’s 4-8 record in Belichick’s first year is not a good omen for the seasons ahead. Last year, the team spent a fortune on the program, running with a budget of $40 million to run the football team, and they even planned to increase it further. Team AD Bubba Cunningham made it pretty clear that they are taking a major risk with this move.

“We’re taking a risk. We’re investing more in football with the hope and ambition that the return is going to significantly outweigh the investment,” Cunningham said.

On top of that, there is also talk that the university wants bigger success in the future. One idea is to move to a stronger conference like the SEC. There is more prestige in competing there compared to the ACC. Teams in the SEC also earn more money, get more TV coverage, and get more attention across the country.

The move might bring in more money, but the investment is also pretty high to shift conferences. This can drain them financially. Now that the program needs to pick a new basketball coach, they need to figure out their expenses and distribute the money smartly.

Is Bill Belichick’s time ending with UNC?

Entering this season, Bill Belichick is getting more attention because of his age. He will turn 74 next month. Because of this, ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg put Belichick on a “retirement watch” list, saying his age and the team’s struggles in the ACC last season make his future uncertain.

“When Belichick surprisingly took the UNC job at 72, he wasn’t seen as a long-term fixture in Chapel Hill,” Rittenberg said. “He’s back for Year 2 after a bumpy, four-win debut that brought more headlines about his personal life and the program’s internal challenges than any on-field success.

If UNC has a rerun of what happened in 2025, Belichick could move on to something else. Even a successful second season won’t turn down retirement talk, as Belichick turns 74 in April. He’s signed through the 2029 season.”

Belichick’s first year at UNC was tough. The team did not play well despite putting so much money into bringing him. But let’s not forget that coaching in college is very different from the NFL. In the pros, players often stay with the same team for many years, just like Tom Brady, who played 19 years with Belichick and the Patriots.

In college, rules like NIL deals and the transfer portal make it harder because coaches often have to rebuild almost the entire team each year. This puts extra pressure on Belichick to adjust quickly. So now, along with financial trouble, the team is also facing uncertainty with Belichick’s continuity being up in the air.