Bill Belichick back in the coaching ranks? Sure sounds like it, but maybe not where you'd expect. As relayed by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the former Patriots and Browns coach is eyeing a move to the college game, with North Carolina reportedly on his radar. And yes, he's serious.
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Why the college route? Let's call it like it is — NFL teams aren't exactly lining up to hire him. "Very surprised" is how Florio describes Belichick's reaction to the lack of interest.
Three NFL jobs are open right now—the Jets, Saints, and Bears. None, per Florio, have reached out. And even teams that might soon need a coach? Crickets.
"Other teams that might be thinking about, or planning to, make a change after the season (or sooner) could also talk to Belichick, since he's currently not employed by any team," Florio wrote. "It's not known with certainty that there has been no contact from teams that have yet to fire their coaches. Regardless, there's no clear connection between Belichick and a potential vacancy, for now."
Here's the problem: bad teams stay bad. And Belichick knows it. Why would he risk tarnishing his legacy by trying to fix someone else's dysfunction? He already went through this last year when the Falcons gave him a sniff and passed.
So, what's left? College football, of course. And there's another layer to this. Florio says Belichick might be setting up his son, Steve, for a head-coaching gig. And honestly, that kind of succession plan is way easier to pull off at the college level than in the NFL.
If NFL owners keep shutting the door, don't be surprised if Belichick's next big move involves Saturdays, not Sundays. A Belichick-led Tar Heels squad? It's not as crazy as it sounds.
