It's never easy to move on from the best coach in franchise history, especially when that coach just also happens to be the most decorated in the history of the sport. So when Robert Kraft and the New England Patriots made the decision to part ways with Bill Belichick at the end of the 2023 season, there was bound to be some second-guessing. Belichick's defense remained solid, after all, and was it really his fault that Mac Jones wasn't a viable starting quarterback in the NFL?
That second-guessing only got louder as Belichick's replacement, Jerod Mayo, has made a series of confounding decisions about everything from game management to young quarterback Drake Maye (and refused to take accountability for them). But in case any Pats fans were wondering during a 3-10 start whether it was really the right call to let Belichick go, you can rest a little easier. Because it seems like New England wasn't the only organization who'd soured on Belichick's ability to lead, at least if his most recent job interview is any indication.
NFL teams have apparently washed their hands of Bill Belichick
In a development that truly no one could have seen coming, Belichick has reportedly interviewed for the head coaching position at the University of North Carolina. It's unclear just how seriously he's being considered, and we don't know how formal an interview it was. Still: The fact that Belichick, who has never held any college coaching position, is spending any time with a mid-tier ACC program that just wrapped up a 6-6 season is a sign of just how depressed his NFL market must be.
We know how badly Belichick wants to be back in charge of a professional team. Again: He has never coached in college, jumping from a playing career at Wesleyan to an assistant position with the then-Baltimore Colts. The NFL is the only thing Belichick has ever known, and every report suggests he wants to revenge after the way things ended in New England. And yet, despite very much wanting to find a role in the league, he's interviewing for a college job — and not even a particularly glamorous one at that.
There's no immediately apparent connection to suggest that Belichick is simply doing a friend a favor, either. This is, apparently, just where his career is at right now, with no NFL team willing to cede that level of organizational control to a 72-year-old who's getting further and further away from the high points of his resume. Things might not be going how Patriots fans envisioned right now, but there's little evidence to support the idea that it would be any better if Belichick were still around.