Bill Belichick has insisted he has no intention of pursuing another opportunity to coach in the NFL next season, but that does not mean teams are giving up on him entirely.
NFL reporter Josina Anderson said Tuesday that there are at least two NFL teams that have interest in talking with Belichick about their head coach jobs. Anderson said a third team could also enter the mix, with Belichick still having “deep respect from a number of owners across the league.”
Belichick has a long history with the New York Giants. He won two Super Bowls with the Giants as their defensive coordinator, which is one of the reasons he was immediately linked to the job after Brian Daboll was fired. Belichick initially stopped short of denying that he would have interest in coaching the Giants, but he later offered a more firm response.
In a joint statement he released with North Carolina on Nov. 14, Belichick said he has deep respect for the Giants but that he is not going to pursue their head coach job or “any NFL head coaching vacancies.”
Belichick was unable to find an NFL head coach job that suited him after he was pushed out by the New England Patriots two seasons ago. There have been questions about whether he even received a legitimate offer. If Belichick’s goal was to use the UNC job as a stepping stone back into the NFL, he probably has not accomplished that.
The Tar Heels are 4-7 in their first season under Belichick. There has also been a great deal of drama surrounding Belichick and his girlfriend since the coach took the UNC job.
There are likely plenty of NFL owners that would, at the very least, entertain a conversation with Belichick. That does not mean any team will make him an actual offer, especially after the way things have gone for him in Chapel Hill.