Few developments in the football world are as surprising as former New England Patriots head coach diving headfirst into the wild west that is college football.
Name, image, and likeness. The transfer portal. Expanded playoffs. And now, the greatest coach professional football has ever seen.
On Wednesday, Belichick was officially announced as the next head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels.
It's awfully hard to compute, and very well has some risk for catastrophic failure. But six Super Bowls in two decades means something, even if the kids he's recruiting weren't alive for the first half of them.
While Belichick chases down former colleague Nick Saban, who left his legacy as college football's most feared – and respected – lead man, it has some implications for the league that may have left him behind.
Belichick leaving for college means he's officially off the list of coaches in the event the New York Giants fire head coach Brian Daboll.
Owner John Mara has publicly backed Daboll, but as things get ugly, the pressures of New York could force his hand.
Related: Have Giants Quit on Daboll?
Belichick made some sense for the Giants, too. He made his mark in East Rutherford as an assistant coach and coordinator. It's not too far from the roots he'd set down in New England, there's ample defensive talent to build something with, and Mara could very well give him the personnel control he demands.
However, the Giants need a rookie quarterback, and some think Belichick, at 72 years old, doesn't want the long-term commitment of sticking with a developing passer.
Ironically, now he'll have to deal with younger, more raw talents and attempt to foster institution-wide improvement before handing the job to his son.
Belichick's decision has taken the college football world by storm. He may have added some turbulence to New York's offseason, too.
Related: Former Miami Booster Guarantees Giants Pick Hurricanes Quarterback
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This story was originally published December 11, 2024, 9:40 PM.