Fair or not, Bill Belichick is perceived to have agreed to become the next head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels program ahead of Christmas because he learned he wouldn’t receive many calls from NFL teams during the next hiring cycle.
On the latest edition of the “Let’s Go!” SiriusXM show and podcast Belichick addressed that topic but, interestingly, didn’t give a definitive answer.
“I think there would’ve been some interest [from NFL teams], but in the end, really, it’s not about what could’ve been or would’ve been, it’s about the opportunity at North Carolina. I think this program is in the right spot now to take off,” Belichick said, Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk shared.
A report from this past spring suggested that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft played “a big part” in Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank hiring Raheem Morris over Belichick last winter. More recently, it was revealed that Belichick hadn’t heard from clubs about opportunities this fall before he accepted the North Carolina gig.
The Dallas Cowboys seem ready to run it back with head coach Mike McCarthy for another year. It remains unclear if New York Giants co-owner John Mara will blow things up following a woeful season for his franchise. The Jacksonville Jaguars may start over by hiring a new general manager who was never going to be Belichick. The Chicago Bears are expected to target an offensive-minded head coach to work with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported this past weekend that Belichick had some interest in coaching the New York Jets. Russini added that “no meeting or formal conversation ever happened” between the two parties “because the UNC opportunity popped up.” Still, analysts have since mentioned that Belichick’s contract buyout dropping from $10M to $1M after June 1 of next year shows he could leave North Carolina for the NFL in January 2026.
“I’m here at North Carolina,” Belichick insisted during the “Let’s Go!” segment, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. “I want to be at Carolina and I’m excited about being at Carolina.”
Such comments regarding Belichick’s intentions for the 2025 season are fine. Nevertheless, the nature of his deal indicates he hasn’t yet completely given up on breaking Don Shula’s NFL record for career victories earned by a head coach (regular season and postseason combined).