Tag: Bill Belichick

Report: Bill Belichick interested in coaching Giants

Bill Belichick has reportedly told those close to him that he’s interested in coaching the New York Giants, the Cowboys or the Eagles.

Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has always been fond of the New York Giants organization. He speaks glowingly about his time with the team, which included two Super Bowl titles.

Belichick grew to fame with the Giants at the end of the 1990 season when his Super Bowl XXV game plan, which is now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, helped lead to a historic upset of the Buffalo Bills.

Since his time with the Giants, Belichick has carved out his own place in NFL history, becoming one of the most successful head coaches of all time. But currently, he remains at home following a divorce from the New England Patriots and an unsuccessful push to take over the reins elsewhere.

How long Belichick stays out of football remains to be seen, but should Giants head coach Brian Daboll struggle in 2024, ol’ Bill may be interested in taking over.

ESPN reports that Belichick has informed those close to him that he would be interested in returning to the Giants or also potentially coaching the Philadelphia Eagles or Dallas Cowboys.

He is believed to be biding his time until next January for openings on teams he has told confidants he would be interested in coaching: the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants.

However, another friend close to Belichick thinks his time on an NFL sideline is likely over despite his very real desire to pass Don Shula on the all-time wins list. Shula won 328 regular-season games, and Belichick is at 302.

“I don’t think Bill Belichick will ever be a head coach again in the National Football League,” the friend said. “Unless it’s [for] Jerry Jones.”

Despite being fond of the Giants organization, Belichick has reportedly warned coaches around the league to think twice before taking a role in East Rutherford. He’s become wary of the organizational structure since the passing of Wellington Mara in 2005.

“Over the years, Bill Belichick has given advice to people . . . that he didn’t really like the setup of the Giants organization. Like, he didn’t think the Giants (were) this great organization,” ESPN’s Jordan Raanan said on the “Breaking Big Blue” podcast in January. “Bill Belichick, like everybody else watching from the outside (and) watching the way it’s set up, doesn’t think — at least this is what I’ve heard — it’s this great organization in its current iteration.

“That doesn’t mean Bill Belichick doesn’t love the Giants and appreciate everything they’ve done for him and have great memories.”

A lot of dominoes would have to fall into place, and a lot would have to change, in order for Belichick to take over as head coach of the Giants. So no matter how much he may desire his career to come back around like that, it seems highly unlikely.

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Report: Bill Belichick was ‘very interested’ in Commanders’ head coaching job

Magic Johnson advocated for Bill Belichick, but the Commanders went in another direction.

It’s not often you need a head coach and a six-time Super Bowl champion is available. That was the case for the Washington Commanders this offseason. After the Patriots mutually agreed to part ways with Bill Belichick, the 72-year-old reportedly still wanted to coach.

Two jobs stood out early as possibilities for Belichick: the Atlanta Falcons and the Los Angeles Chargers. However, it was apparent that the Chargers were all-in on Jim Harbaugh, leaving the Falcons.

Belichick interviewed with the Falcons and was expected to have a second interview, but eventually, Atlanta hired Raheem Morris. The Commanders opening remained, but Belichick was never asked to interview, and the job eventually went to Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.

Was Washington even interested in Belichick?

According to Don Van Natta Jr., Seth Wickersham and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Commanders minority owner Magic Johnson was interested and made his pitch for the future Hall of Fame coach.

Washington seemed to be another good fit, and multiple sources said Belichick was very interested. He grew up in Annapolis, Maryland, and the combination of his hometown ties and football acumen might have helped the Commanders win and land a stadium in Washington, D.C., considered the most-prized location for a new venue. Commanders minority owner Magic Johnson lobbied hard for Belichick to be the team’s new head coach, sources said. Belichick spoke to new Commanders GM Adam Peters, a former Patriots staffer, and said he respected the job Peters had done in personnel since he had left New England, helping the Broncos and 49ers reach a combined three Super Bowls.

Apparently, managing partner Josh Harris discussed Belichick with Patriots owner Robert Kraft but was not interested in hiring him, instead preferring to hire a general manager first. Belichick held control over personnel during his tenure in New England, a model he likely preferred at a potential new destination.

However, principal owner Josh Harris, who had spoken privately with Kraft about Belichick, told confidants in early December that he respected Belichick but wasn’t going to hire him. He wanted the same leadership structure he has with the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils: a strong general manager over a head coach. Harris’ hiring of the 44-year-old Peters as GM before he looked for a coach was a big tell that Belichick was not a fit, a decision that Johnson endorsed. A source close to Belichick said the coach had questions about working in a strong-GM system. Washington decided to hire Cowboys defensive coordinator and former Falcons head coach Dan Quinn. The victim of the Patriots’ 28-3 Super Bowl comeback had a job. The primary architect of that historic victory did not.

Was this the right move for the Commanders? Only time will tell, but the early signs are positive for the Quinn/Peters partnership. Of course, Washington must win. After four years of Ron Rivera as the head coach/GM, that route didn’t appear to be one Harris would follow.

Report: Bill Belichick was willing to give up GM duties with Falcons

Bill Belichick was reportedly willing to relinquish total control to coach in Atlanta

Former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick parted ways with the Patriots in January.

He then began interviewing with other teams, including the Atlanta Falcons. A new report suggests Belichick was willing to give up the same power he held in New England, most notably the general manager duties, and just focus on coaching.

Belichick held the general manager role with the Patriots organization since 2001. He enjoyed a tremendous amount of success, before the organization started to struggle in the post-Tom Brady era. Many believed Belichick would get hired in this coaching cycle, but it never came to fruition.

ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr., Seth Wickersham and Jeremy Fowler put together a report that, in part, detailed Belichick’s interview process with Falcons owner Arthur Blank and team executives:

And in the pair of interviews with Blank and Falcons executives, sources said, Belichick pledged his willingness to co-exist with Falcons executives under this new paradigm. In fact, he insisted he just wants to coach. But the Falcons realized that if you hire Bill Belichick, you hire all of him, an entire philosophy and ethos stemming from one man’s ethic and ingenuity, sources said.

Belichick ultimately didn’t get the job in Atlanta. A source in the ESPN report believes Patriots owner Robert Kraft was a big reason for that. The owner reportedly placed a call to Blank and warned him not to trust Belichick.

One has to wonder how big the rift between Kraft and Belichick really was, as more and more stories come out regarding the separation of the two. This could be a classic case of two big egos getting in the way.

Bill Belichick believed to be eyeing three NFL teams in 2025

Here are the three teams Bill Belichick is believed to be eyeing as possible head coaching destinations in 2025

Bill Belichick failed to land a head coaching job in this hiring cycle, but the year 2025 could bring about new opportunities for the former New England Patriots coach.

The three teams he’s believed to be eyeing as possible destinations are the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants.

ESPN’s Seth Wickersham, Don Van Natta Jr. and Jeremy Fowler broached the subject of Belichick’s future in a combined report on Wednesday:

In the coming weeks, Belichick is expected to sign a deal to do analysis for Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions, which produces ESPN’s “ManningCast” during “Monday Night Football.” He is believed to be biding his time until next January for openings on teams he has told confidants he would be interested in coaching: the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants.

The Cowboys would make sense due to the respect owner Jerry Jones already has for Belichick. Jones, who turns 82 years old this year, is looking to win right away. He clearly isn’t doing that with Mike McCarthy, who has only won one playoff game since being hired as head coach.

The Eagles could be an option of opportunity if Nick Sirianni doesn’t work out, while the Giants would be a full-circle moment for Belichick, who won his first Super Bowl with the team as a defensive coach.

Options might be dwindling, but they’ll still exist with a little patience. For how long, exactly? That’s another question entirely for the 72-year-old former coach.

ESPN: Bill Belichick ‘would be interested’ in coaching Cowboys in 2025

From @ToddBrock24f7: The legendary coach won’t be on an NFL sideline this season, but he apparently has a shortlist of clubs for 2025. Dallas is on the list.

The only head coach in NFL history with eight Super Bowl rings couldn’t get a job in the league this offseason and will instead be watching the 2024 campaign from his sofa.

But expect to hear Bill Belichick’s name a lot when the Cowboys come up in conversation over the next nine months.

As part of an ESPN story on Belichick’s failed job hunt, writers Don Van Natta Jr., Seth Wickersham, and Jeremy Fowler reveal that the coach, who turned 72 this week, now has a shortlist of teams in his sights for a prospective return to the sidelines in 2025.

And the Cowboys are on it.

“He is believed to be biding his time until next January for openings on teams he has told confidants he would be interested in coaching: the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants. A source who spoke with a longtime friend of Belichick said the friend wonders if the coach will have another opportunity: “I don’t think Bill Belichick will ever be a head coach again in the National Football League,” the friend said. “Unless it’s [for] Jerry Jones.”

It’s worth pointing out, of course, that current Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy is entering the final year of his contract, with Jones having decided against giving him an extension beyond 2024, even despite McCarthy leading the team to three consecutive 12-win seasons. McCarthy’s deal will officially expire as soon as the Cowboys play their final game of the season or postseason.

There were whispers that the axe would fall on McCarthy back in January, after the Cowboys’ embarrassing playoff loss to Green Bay, which took place just three days after Belichick and Patriots owner Robert Kraft announced they were parting ways after 24 seasons.

As the ESPN piece explains:

“On paper, the Cowboys seemed to make sense: Belichick and Jerry Jones are decades-long friends, and both are in win-now mode. Nobody is better than Belichick at converting a talented roster into a championship team. And Belichick told a friend that he liked the idea of sticking it to the Krafts by working for Jones. But Jones, for all his flash, bluster and vows this offseason to go “all-in,” is change-averse when it comes to head coaches. He decided quickly after Dallas’ blowout exit in the wild-card round to let Mike McCarthy coach the final year of his contract.”

But McCarthy is far from the only lame duck at the moment in Dallas. Quarterback Dak Prescott should be in line for a new deal in the neighborhood of $60 million annually but is, rather, staring down the barrel of his own contract year. Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb is entering his fifth-year option season and waiting for negotiations on a contract that would probably make him the highest-paid receiver in the game. Edge rusher Micah Parsons is eligible for a new deal, too.

The team hasn’t moved on any of those proceedings.

The confluence of all those situations have led many to speculate that Jones is already writing off 2024 and looking at a complete and total reset for 2025. Word that the most decorated head coach in history is waiting by the phone will only throw high-octane fuel on that fire.

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Notes the ESPN story:

“[Belichick] has told confidants he thinks he’ll get at least one interview next year. Dallas could be an option, if Jerry Jones moves on from Mike McCarthy, a lame duck in the final year of his contract. Belichick has a strong relationship with both Jerry and Stephen Jones, dating back years. On the other hand, Jerry Jones has been close with a lot of excellent head coaches whom he has never hired.”

In the meantime, there are seats all around The Star in Frisco that are already getting warm. And there’s a living legend apparently eyeing the throne as he studies game film from his couch.

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Report: Robert Kraft wanted Bill Belichick gone following 2022 season

Robert Kraft wanted to fire Bill Belichick after the 2022 season, but he was reportedly talked out of that decision

Former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick might have been axed a lot sooner, if not for Jonathan Kraft.

A new report published on Wednesday, via ESPN’s Seth Wickersham, Don Van Natta Jr. and Jeremy Fowler, indicated the younger Kraft convinced his father and Patriots owner Robert Kraft not to fire Belichick after the 2022 season.

New England struggled offensively and finished 8-9 that season. The unit could not piece things together under the direction of Matt Patricia, who had been given offensive play-calling duties. That made life difficult for quarterback Mac Jones and the rest of the offense. Patriots ownership put out a letter to fans following the season, indicating that things would be better in 2023.

The ESPN article read:

“A source close to Robert Kraft said he considered moving on from Belichick after the 2022 season, but Jonathan Kraft talked him out of it.”

It might have given the Patriots a better shot at rebuilding if Belichick was fired in 2023. New England has never had a full rebuild in the post-Tom Brady era, until now.

Bill Belichick to join Pat McAfee’s draft night special

Bill Belichick will be taking his talents to the television screen on draft night

Bill Belichick may not be busy on draft night in a coaching capacity, but he will be hitting the television screen. The former New England Patriots coach will be joining “The Pat McAfee Show” for their 2024 NFL draft special next Thursday.

This isn’t the first time that McAfee and Belichick have crossed paths. Belichick made an appearance at the Army-Navy game in December, where McAfee worked on “College GameDay.”

This latest news just adds to what has been a busy month for the former Patriots coach. Belichick was most recently at Nebraska, where he impressed Matt Rhule and his coaching staff in a meeting. Now, he will be on the other side of things, with his former team scheduled to be a focal point of the draft.

The Patriots are slated to pick third overall in the first round.

It will be interesting to see how Belichick performs on the media side of things, especially after he spent years disliking interviews and answering media questions. If nothing else, the combination of Belichick and McAfee are sure to be entertaining.

Bill Belichick reportedly considered joining this team to stick it to Krafts

Bill Belichick reportedly liked the idea of joining one team in particular

After parting ways with the New England Patriots, former head coach Bill Belichick reportedly liked the idea of joining one team in particular as a way to stick it to Patriots ownership.

That team was none other than the Jerry Jones-owned Dallas Cowboys.

Belichick was ultimately passed up by the Cowboys, who still have Mike McCarthy under contract. ESPN’s Seth Wickersham, Don Van Natta Jr. and Jeremy Fowler’s report read:

Dallas was another potential suitor. On paper, the Cowboys seemed to make sense: Belichick and Jerry Jones are decades-long friends, and both are in win-now mode. Nobody is better than Belichick at converting a talented roster into a championship team. And Belichick told a friend that he liked the idea of sticking it to the Krafts by working for Jones. But Jones, for all his flash, bluster and vows this offseason to go “all-in,” is change-averse when it comes to head coaches. He decided quickly after Dallas’ blowout exit in the wild-card round to let Mike McCarthy coach the final year of his contract.

Kraft and Jones are the two most influential owners in the NFL, and well over a year ago, the two men reportedly got into a heated exchange during an owners meeting.

The Cowboys might still consider Belichick as an option in 2025, if the team continues to struggle under McCarthy. In four seasons with the team, McCarthy has only won one playoff game.

Belichick, on the other hand, is a six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach that is still somehow without a job. The bombshell ESPN article talked about how close the legendary coach was to signing with the Atlanta Falcons, but then things cooled off significantly after phone conversations between Kraft and Falcons owner Arthur Blank.

Belichick is 72 years and still looking to break the record for most wins as an NFL head coach. The clock is ticking, and Dallas could end up becoming his best option.

ESPN report suggests why Panthers passed on hiring Bill Belichick

Why didn’t the Panthers hire the greatest coach in the history of the NFL? A new report from ESPN may have provided that answer.

So, why weren’t the Carolina Panthers too interested in hiring the greatest head coach in the history of the game? A deep dive into Bill Belichick’s offseason may have just suggested why.

On Wednesday morning, ESPN published a report about the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach and his “failed” job hunt following the 2023 season. Some legwork done by Don Van Natta Jr., Seth Wickersham and Jeremy Fowler resulted in the following tidbit about the Panthers:

The Carolina Panthers briefly discussed Belichick, before he signed his two-year extension with New England a year ago. But this offseason, Carolina decided to pass, a source said. Panthers owner David Tepper often sifts through data to critique his coach’s playcalling. That, according to a source, “is tough to do with Belichick as the figurehead.” The Panthers opted for 42-year-old former Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Dave Canales.

When you have the kind of résumé that Belichick has, power often follows. That was the case with the Patriots, who also positioned him as the team’s de facto general manager over his 24-year tenure.

If Tepper is as hands-on as this reporting hints at, that influence could’ve posed a problem for the dynamic atop the organization. Following Frank Reich’s introductory press conference last January, the billionaire owner had admitted that hiring a “CEO-type” in Matt Rhule—Tepper’s very first choice—was a mistake on his part.

Instead of going down a similar route, the Panthers are rocking with first-year head coach Dave Canales.

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Pete Carroll made an appearance at University of Washington football practice

Perhaps Carroll will return to the VMAC in some future capacity, but right now it doesn’t seem like he will be around the team in 2024.

When the Seahawks fired former head coach Pete Carroll a few months ago they said that he would be taking on an unnamed “advisory” role. Since then we haven’t heard anything about what that role might entail and we also haven’t heard from Carroll since his final press conference.

One thing we can count on is Carroll putting in time around the Washington Huskies, where his son Brennan is on Jedd Fisch’s staff as the team’s new offensive coordinator. Pete was spotted at practice yesterday.

Former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has also been around the building a lot lately, as his son Steve is their new defensive coordinator.

Perhaps Carroll will return to the VMAC in some future capacity, but right now it doesn’t seem like he will be around the team in 2024.

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