Bill Belichick surprised the football world when he elected to join the North Carolina Tar Heels in early December. The six-time Super Bowl champion head coach went to the college ranks before the opportunity to interview for NFL vacancies arrived. To former quarterback Chris Simms, that decision was intentional.
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On Friday’s episode of the God Bless Football show, Simms hinted that Belichick already had an inkling he wouldn’t be landing an NFL gig for 2025. This denial, in Simms’ mind, wasn’t unexpected.
“He was shocked… that there wasn’t more of a calling for him to be [an NFL] head coach. Am I shocked he’s going to college? Definitely. Did I think there’d be a team out there that would latch onto Belichick? I did think that. But I’m not shocked the NFL rejected Belichick.”
Simms, a Belichick assistant for the Patriots in 2012, noted Belichick’s potential $1 million buyout from the Tar Heels.
That amount, which Simms labeled “couch-cushion change from NFL owners”, could be exercised in June. He said the buyout, “tells me he doesn’t want to stay there long-term.” However, Belichick’s own words indicate a different narrative.
Bill Belichick: “I didn’t come here to leave”
Simms isn’t the first person to predict Belichick will jump back to the NFL at first opportunity. Taking a college job now ensured he’s coaching next season in some capacity no matter how he fared in conversations with NFL teams.
Such a plan would be logical from Belichick’s perspective, but he insisted he’s no longer thinking about the professional ranks during his introductory press conference.
“I didn’t come here to leave. I’m here to do the best I can for the University of North Carolina and the program.”
Belichick’s actions provide the best evidence he’s telling the truth. He seems eager to prove he can succeed at the college level. If he were to win a College Football Playoff championship, he’d be the fourth head coach to capture a college title and Super Bowl ring. Even though it’s not in the NFL, Belichick said there’s nothing he’d rather do than coach.
“[Coaching] beats working. When you love what you do, it’s not working. It’s really, I love what I do. I love coaching. I love the interaction with the players.”
Belichick will have plenty of that over the next month as he gets his first taste of the transfer portal. Once the dust settles there, he’ll begin doing all he can to mold the Tar Heels into a quality unit.
His first collegiate game comes versus TCU on Aug. 30.
