Ever since Bill Belichick stepped down as the Patriots’ head coach, speculations have been rife about his next move. The latest reports indicate that Belichick is extremely content with his new relationship with a 24-year-old former cheerleader and is looking forward to the simple pleasures of life. Based on this, his focus seems to be straying away from the game; however, if a head-coaching opportunity arises, will he take it?
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Answering whether Bill Belichick will take up another job is completely up to the eight-time Super Bowl-winning coach. But what can be analyzed and listed down are the potential coaching opportunities that may present themselves in front of him, which can sway his mind.
Just like every NFL season, there have been a lot of cuts and chops in the coaching lounge of almost every team. However, three interesting trends are being observed this time.
Offense-Minded Approach
The prevailing trend is that team owners are now giving chances to young, offensive-minded coaches to prove themselves. Considering that the defensive side of the ball isn’t as dominant as it used to be, it’s certainly understandable why this is so.
Gone are the days when Bill Belichick and other greats like Mike Vrabel and Pete Carrol could ‘defense’ their way to victory. The game today is very offensive-minded for commercial and aesthetic reasons.
Hence, many former offensive coordinators, like Dave Canales [Carolina Panthers], Brian Callahan [Tennessee Titans], and several others, are set to assume head-coaching responsibilities for the first time, despite no previous experience.
Rewarding The Veterans
Another similarly interesting trend is handing out head-coaching responsibilities to individuals with years of support staff experience but no Head-Coaching or managerial experience. The likes of Jerod Mayo [New England Patriots] and Antonio Pierce [Las Vegas Raiders] come to mind.
Then there are team owners who have hired successful veterans like Dan Quinn [Washington Commanders] and Jim Harbaugh [LA Chargers] for immediate success.
Every Change Has Its Own Risk
Although progressive and bold, each trend comes with its downside. For starters, a heavy emphasis on inexperienced coaches is being placed this season. With no track record, it’s unclear if they can translate their past success as coordinators or in previous head coaching stints to their new roles.
Pressure will be immense, and over the years, inexperience coupled with failures became the recipe for getting sacked. Hence, coaches and teams that fall into the first two trends can be potential destinations for the too-good-to-be-unemployed gang of Bill Belichick, Vrabel, and Carrol.
Then there are two intriguing cases that Bill Belichick fans should keep an eye on. The Washington Commanders, with their record free agency signing, have made it clear that Dan Quinn has to deliver this season.
But the problem lies in the fact that Quinn hasn’t coached in a while with his last stint as an HC being during the pre-pandemic era. With such high expectations of deliverables, a mid-season sacking is possible. This might open up the gates for Belichick — a master at navigating postseason games.
Another man in the spotlight this season would be Jim Harbaugh, who is returning to the big leagues after a massively successful stint with Michigan for 8 years. But similar to Quinn, Jim hasn’t coached in the NFL for a long time, with his last stint being with the 49ers in 2014.
College football and the NFL are worlds apart, and an opportunity can open up for Bill depending on how well Harbaugh adapts to a world that he hasn’t been a part of for 10 years. And it’s not like the rules haven’t changed.
But what about college football? Will the legendary Patriots head coach go a step below his usual standards? The answer leans more towards a “No.” Nick Saban has done it, for sure, but it’s highly unlikely that Belichick would forget his aspirations in the big league.
While these were options for the immediate season, rumor mills indicate that there is one last opportunity for Belichick that might present itself next year.
Bill Belichick Linked To Dallas Cowboys
A common trend seen in the Dallas Cowboys over the years is their failure to secure a win in the playoffs. Since their last Super Bowl victory in ‘96, the Cowboys under Jerry Jones haven’t won the Lombardi Trophy.
With age catching up with the owner and de facto general manager, and no news on Mike McCarthy’s contract extension [ends in 2025], Spanish tabloid Marca argues that the Jones family, in their pursuit of immediate success, might hand over the keys to Belichick next season.
“The numbers don’t help McCarthy, and Jones isn’t known for his patience. The search for the new Cowboys head coach is about to begin, and Belichick could face unexpected competition from Coach Prime for the job.”
While Marca does report that Deion Sanders is the other name on the list, Coach Prime’s admission that he will stay with the Boulder for some more time makes the path clear for Belichick.
While this dynamic can change if McCarthy wins the Super Bowl this season, regardless, this remains yet another potential destination for Belichick. Coming back to the question, can Bill Belichick still get a job in the NFL? With all these options listed, it’s hard to argue against it. But will he coach again? That’s a question that only the Croatian can answer!
