Bill Belichick didn’t wait for a call that might not come from an NFL team.
With no certainty that another NFL opportunity would arise — the Atlanta Falcons were the only team to interview him last offseason — and unsure if he could find the right fit in the NFL, the 72-year-old Hall of Fame-bound coach decided to try something new: college football.
Belichick brought his eight Super Bowl rings to North Carolina, ready to build a college program in the same way he created two dynasties during his 24 years with the New England Patriots. It starts with doing things his way, and the “Patriot Way” is famous. Maybe it will work for the Tar Heel way.
We’ll have to wait and see, but Belichick is back doing what he loves: coaching. And he’s in charge, surrounded by his staff. An NFL team giving Belichick the same full control he had in New England seemed unlikely.
Success at North Carolina could change that view.
Right now, Belichick’s attempt to break Don Shula’s record for most NFL wins is on hold. He’s just 15 wins short, but his college contract has a buyout clause — it would cost $10 million if he leaves before June 2025, and $1 million after that — so there’s still a chance he could return to the NFL.
If Belichick stays in college or retires without returning to the NFL, his legacy is already secure. Winning at North Carolina would only boost his reputation. Losing won’t affect his NFL legacy.
“He’s one of the all-time great coaches. What he’s done for the NFL and the game, we all know where he’ll end up — in the Hall of Fame with a gold jacket,” said Dallas Cowboys executive Stephen Jones just before Belichick agreed to a five-year deal with North Carolina worth $10 million annually in salary, with up to $3.5 million in bonuses each year.
There are critics of Belichick. Some argue that he couldn’t win without Tom Brady. His record was 29-39 without Brady, and he didn’t win any playoff games in his final four seasons with the Patriots.
Some also accuse him of being a cheater because of the Spygate and Deflategate scandals. Others criticize him for overlooking Aaron Hernandez’s problems. He was tough on players, even pushing Brady out of New England, allowing him to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where Brady led the team to a Super Bowl victory in his first year.
But Belichick taught players the importance of doing their jobs and built an unmatched two-decade era of dominance, even with changes in free agency, salary caps, and more.
Brady has always credited Belichick for helping him become one of the greatest players in the sport.
Now, Belichick is in Chapel Hill, taking a surprising new step after spending most of the NFL season as an engaging analyst. While his football knowledge came through on TV, he also showed a fun side, joking with the Mannings and Pat McAfee.
“College kind of came to me this year,” Belichick said at his introductory press conference. “I didn’t necessarily go and seek it out. I had many coaches, probably a couple dozen, talk to me and say, ‘Can we come down and talk to you about these things?’ Let’s call it the salary cap of pro football relative to college football.
The headsets, the green dot, the two-minute warning, the tablets on the sideline. Those were all rules changes this year for college football that were either or the same or similar to what we had in the NFL.
These coaches said, ‘Hey coach, can we talk to you about how you did this? How you did that? How did you use this?’.
“As those conversations started and then the personnel conversations started about salary caps and how you spend your money, it made me more aware of it because the first thing I would have to do is learn about it. As you learn more about different programs, you begin to see common threads and variables.”
How well will Belichick do as a college coach? Nobody knows yet. Three of Belichick’s former players were uncertain about his decision.
“There’s a lot of things he can do, and obviously he’s tremendous, and even showing his personality. But getting out there on the recruiting trail and dealing with all these college kids, that would be …” Brady said, trailing off during a conversation on Fox’s NFL pregame show.
Former Patriots teammates Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman had similar concerns.
“Can you imagine NIL, and all that nonsense?” Gronkowski said. Edelman added: “Can you imagine Bill on a couch recruiting an 18-year-old?”
But Belichick won’t have to recruit kids in person. These are new times in college sports. NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) has completely changed things. Plus, Belichick’s name alone is a draw. It’s similar to how Deion Sanders is using his name at Colorado.
“I think it could be great for this game, honestly, if he can find a way to make college football more like this in terms of what’s being asked of the coaches, the recruiting staff, the personnel, the NIL, and all those different things,” said Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Cohen.
“If he can make it a little bit less demanding on some of the coaches and create a great atmosphere and have success, I think it’s great for our game. It’s pretty cool to see, actually.” Now, it’s Belichick’s turn to do his job.
