If you had told anyone that future Hall of Famer Bill Belichick would be jobless and garnering little interest in the open market back just a few years ago, they would have laughed you out of the room. That does seem to be the case as the coaching carousel starts to come to a stop with just two teams with open spots, neither of which seem to be interested in his services. What could have led to one of the greatest coaches of all time being left on the couch going into a new season?
One of the most prevalent themes in the recent history of the league has been the “What have you done for me lately?” policy seemingly every team goes by. So while there is no denying that Belichick has one of the best track records in the history of the league, the Patriots’ last four seasons have been a cruel reminder that developing a quarterback is necessary in today’s game. Even though Belichick has consistently fielded top-tier defenses year after year given his genius on that side of the ball, his inability to draft and develop a quarterback, as well as his general failures in drafting, sent him to the unemployment line.
Teams looking for a potential head coach certainly noticed his recent trends, and if there was a power struggle with the 71-year-old Belichick over roster decisions, teams understandably would be hesitant to turn over their program to him. With these teams having set decision-makers and general managers, it could have clashed with Belichick’s desire to have plenty of roster influence.
Those factors — a serious lack of success on the offensive side of the ball and a coaching style that may not align with the modern NFL — have left Belichick on the outside looking in. Though a team looking for a defensive coordinator may be intrigued if Belichick were open to the idea.