So much for Bill Belichick being obsessed with catching Don Shula.
The long-time NFL coach has interviewed for the vacancy at North Carolina. According to Pat Forde of SI.com, Belichick has been talking to UNC for “several days.” He has a “genuine interest” in coaching at the college level.
Belichick began his coaching career in 1975. He worked at the NFL level continuously through 2023. He has never coached at the college level.
But his father was a scout at the Naval Academy, and Belichick learned the game by working with his dad. It would be fitting at some level for Belichick to give it a try.
The bigger question is whether Belichick doesn’t think the planets will align to give him an NFL opportunity he’d accept. Last year, he received only one interview and no offer in the hiring cycle.
Possible 2025 destinations include the Jaguars, the Bears, the Saints, the Cowboys, the Buccaneers, and the Giants. All hinge first on the existence of a vacancy, and second on the willingness of the owner to hire a coach who turns 73 in April.
Control will be an issue. If he doesn’t get the keys to the football operation, will the person who has it be comfortable having Belichick work for him?
Belichick also will presumably want to go to a team that presents him with an opportunity to win. If he fails in his first stop post-Patriots, that will diminish his perceived greatness.
Of course, the college game is a different animal. Recruiting, NIL, limited access to players, etc. He’d need to accumulate a team of lieutenants with a different skill set than he’d need in the NFL.
Wherever this goes, Belichick doesn’t seem like the type to waste anyone’s time, especially his. It will be interesting to see if he interviews for other vacancies at the college level.
