Public records show North Carolina was "closely monitoring" whether Bill Belichick might make a quick exit

Remember when we reported nerves were frayed in North Carolina regarding the possibility that new Tar Heels coach Bill Belichick wasn't long for Tobacco Road? Remember when Lombo, Esq. tweeted in response "not [sic] one is nervous other than this erronous [sic] report?"

Here's this, from the ESPN.com story regarding the courtship of Steve's father: "For one, reports continued to swirl of NFL teams interested in talking to Belichick, and public records obtained by ESPN showed the school was closely monitoring any news that their new coach could make a quick pivot back to the pros."

Belichick's contract contains a $10 million buyout through June 1, when it plummets to $1 million. He didn't sign the contract until late January, and the term sheet he inked made it clear that it was not a binding contract. In theory, he could have left with NO buyout at any point before he put his signature on the contract.

Lombardi said what he had to say. Coaches and executives do that all the time. The truth was that people at North Carolina (and at the ACC) were nervous about Belichick writing on a piece of looseleaf paper, "I resign as HC of the UNC."