This season marked Bill Belichick‘s first out of the NFL since 1974. The legendary HC-turned-media mainstay has only served as a full-time coach in the NFL ranks, moving from assistant positions in Baltimore, Detroit, Denver and New York to his two HC roles (Cleveland, New England). It is widely known the recently fired Patriots leader is eyeing a jump back into the league.
An unusual development may well have taken place in the meantime. Belichick interviewed for the North Carolina head coaching job, according to 247Sports.com’s Grant Hughes. Considering the instability in the college ranks right now, along with Belichick’s exclusive ties to the NFL over a near-five-decade span, it would be borderline shocking if he made his coaching return to that level. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport confirms the North Carolina meeting.
Discussions have occurred over a several-day period, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer and Pat Forde report. Belichick is the son of a longtime college coach. His father, Steve, was an assistant at Navy for 34 years. Steve Belichick also spent three seasons (1953-55) as an assistant at North Carolina. While the NFL lifer bowing out of a second NFL derby to coach the Tar Heels 70 years after his father did would be unexpected, it is a key coaching storyline to monitor right now. Belichick indeed still would likely prefer the pros, per Breer, though he has done extensive research on the current college game.
[RELATED: Ex-Belichick Lieutenants Ready To Rejoin Him At Next Job?]
Belichick, 72, has been tied to the Giants and Cowboys and has connections to Jaguars ownership, further clouding Trent Baalke‘s Jacksonville future. All three jobs may soon be available, and while Belichick has an advantage on candidates employed by teams presently, he would need to wait on those three jobs. The Bears, Jets and Saints are the only teams that can interview Belichick now.
Coaches still on staff elsewhere must wait until after the wild-card round to interview, while unattached candidates can start early. Though, Belichick is almost definitely not returning to the Jets due to a long-adversarial relationship. Unless the Bears and Saints show interest, Belichick will need to wait until the offseason carousel starts.
North Carolina fired its two-time HC Mack Brown recently, and Steelers OC Arthur Smith came up as a target. Smith rebuffed Tar Heels interest, as a potential second chance as an NFL leader awaits. Belichick taking the meeting is certainly interesting, and he would obviously raise the ACC program’s profile. That said, Belichick’s age and the unstable landscape of Division I sports right now stand to generate roadblocks. The Tar Heels have been open to senior-citizen HCs, hiring Brown back at age 67 in 2018. The Tar Heels have produced one 10-win season over the past 27 years.
Belichick’s 20-plus-year tenure as a de facto GM would appeal to schools in the NIL era, in addition to his obvious coaching resume’s draw, though the transfer portal and evolving compensation setup have led high-profile coaches in both football and basketball out. Boston College’s Jeff Hafley was among them, leaving an ACC HC gig for the Packers’ DC post (Brown also expressed frustration with the current state of college sports). The world’s highest-profile football coach stepping in would be rather strange. Indeed, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz adds some in the NFL believe Belichick is using North Carolina in an effort to push teams to act faster and make it known he wants back into the league in 2025.
Any college commitment would also drain time from Belichick’s quest to break Don Shula‘s career wins record. At 333, Belichick sits 14 behind Shula’s mark. The NFL also brings a potential age barrier, one that impacted Belichick’s candidacy this year. No team has hired a head coach older than 66; Belichick will turn 73 in April. The Falcons viewing Belichick as a short-term option prompted them to steer clear, though myriad other factors were also behind Atlanta’s decision.
The Raiders job also may open soon, creating a fascinating what-if about now-part-owner Tom Brady overseeing his former coach. Mark Davis pulling the plug so quickly on longtime Belichick lieutenant Josh McDaniels likely makes that a nonstarter, and ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano indeed does not see a fit there if the Silver and Black boot Antonio Pierce soon.
The Cowboys continue to come up as a potential Belichick destination, per The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, who adds the Buccaneers have as well. Tampa Bay passed on firing Todd Bowles last year, as the third-year HC ultimately rallied to lead the team to the divisional round. The Bucs are 6-6, putting Bowles on shaky ground once again. Though, they play in the NFL’s worst division and could certainly claim a playoff spot for a fifth straight year. Mike McCarthy is wrapping up a five-year contract, though the prospect of Jerry Jones keeping his embattled HC — one Dak Prescott strongly endorsed this week — has also surfaced.
Belichick was believed to be willing to cede some power if hired by the Falcons, with Arthur Blank confirming the coach did not demand a de facto GM role during his interviews. But meshing with Dallas’ long-running honcho, who obviously plays the lead role in Cowboys personnel moves, continues to loom as a potential dealbreaker for both parties. Barring an unexpected move into the college ranks, Belichick connections to teams figure to pick up again soon.
The north Carolina panthers
The guy wants to coach
I still think Jacksonville with GM duties is the front-runner. Not sure he would get that much power anywhere else.
Great spot if BB thinks he can Trevor Lawrence back on track…As much hate as the owner gets he clearly wants to win and not have to meddle imo
For some reason I could see him with the Bucs if that job were available.
Consider this: going into the 2024 NFL season the Bears (Matt Eberflus), Jets (Robert Saleh), Saints (Dennis Allen), Jaguars (Doug Pederson), Raiders (Antonio Pierce), Giants (Brian Daboll), Patriots (Jerod Mayo) and Cowboys (Mike McCarthy) apparently thought they had a better head coach than Bill Belichick. Wild.
Jets got embarrassed by Belichick once before. It was a long time ago but still. Can’t imagine they’d offer Bill a job.
If everyone who embarrassed the Jets is being dropped as a coaching candidate their search for an new guy may be the longest in NFL history 🙂
Here’s what is wild: BB’s coaching record with and without TOM BRADY. Just an average coach….
Of course any coach is going to be better with a Hall of Fame QB. But Belichick did have two playoff years in that sample size, one with the Browns, and one with Mac Jones (who Belichick admittedly ruined), so there’s that.
Plus, it’s not like Brady didn’t reap the benefits of Belichick’s defense and special teams and front office during that time, either…
And Brady continually reupped with New England on team friendly terms. Could it possibly be that he did that because he knew BB gave him the best chance of being successful?
I’d say no 70-year-old coach could connect with today’s college kids, but then I remembered the age of his new girlfriend
Mack Brown, the HC that Belichick would be replacing at North Carolina, is 73.
I actually had not even considered he would take a college job – so this headline kind of hit me.
I think something like this makes a ton of sense.
Bill has an ego – I don’t think that a bad thing – but he could really have a big impact on a team like that.
I wonder how much he was actually considering it. Was it just a topical level interview, or was he really interested?
He’ll fit right in with the college game cos he’s a cheater.
Call a wambulance buddy.
I knew the obsessed jet fan would comment
Aaron Hernandez fit right in on the Foxboro Cheatriots just as he did with the Florida Gators.
Like I said,obsessed…
There is NO WAY that he coaches college ball. He is prolly just bored waiting for the next NFL cycle. But if he accepted a HC gig in college I would be absolutely floored!
How does that interview go?
Bill walks in and drops 8 Super Bowl Rings on the table.
For being “World Champion” of Murica, F$&k Yeah!
Relevance
He’s a lying cheater with no ethics or morals.
His best days are ahead of him.
..ahead of him?
You can’t even insult right, how sad for you.
Feel free to interpret it that way.
I thought it was a humorous dig but I wonder if the comment applies more to Roger Goodell.
Being a college coach guarantees him full power in personnel decisions.
Over a bunch of kids that are far more entitled than the prima Donnas he coached in the pros. At least the pros sign multi-year contracts, he won’t enjoy the constant recruiting and re-recruiting of these kids who demand NIL $ to do anything.
Perhaps a Communist society, Soviet-style should be great for you, Polish. I’m glad you don’t run things
That…escalated quickly.
Publicity stunt as a favor to his dad’s former employer to make the job look coveted when it’s not.
Take it! Take it! Take it! C’mon Bill you know you want to. Then I don’t have to listen about him coaching the Bears. Take it!
The UFL needs to offer BB a job immediately to retain any kind of credibility. His having more interest in coaching at the college level is bad look for them.
Zero chance of him going to any college outside of a military academy – he couldn’t convince today’s star high school/college athletes to come join him at UNC or anywhere. He has zero charisma, zero salesman skills, and zero connections in that world. Bill wants to coach, not recruit. The job of a major college head coach nowadays is more recruiting than coaching. You need to convince them to come, then you have to convince them to stay, and you have to have sources trying to convince players to leave other teams to come join yours.
When die-hards like Saban walk away, you know it is a grind and built more for the “salesman types”.
He’ll be coaching the Giants next year. He’ll hang on for a few years, racking up 6-8 wins per year until he has passed Shula, then he’ll go away and finish up as a consultant to some nfl or college team.
The New York Football Giants will face a fan revolt should they hire another failure from Foxboro. Remember Joe Judge?
Prepare the lanterns and pitchforks.
Saban was the sell.
College now is every player is a free agent at every seasons end.
Watch out college girls, here comes Billy!