That Invoice Belichick is speaking with the College of North Carolina about being its subsequent soccer coach brings to thoughts the late Rodney Dangerfield’s Thornton Melon character within the campus comedy “Again to College.” Dangerfield performs an getting older millionaire clothes producer who enrolls in school, the concept being that it’ll preserve his son from dropping out, and naturally, hilarity ensues at a excessive degree — proper all the way down to our obese, over-the-hill pupil profitable a diving competitors by sticking the uncommon Triple Lindy.
“Again to College” is hilarious, but it surely takes the suspension of disbelief to an absurd degree. And that’s why I don’t suppose Belichick goes to emerge as the school head-coaching model of Thornton Melon. My suspension of disbelief simply can’t click on into place in such a method as to examine this crusty NFL lifer, who turns 73 in April, pacing the sideline at Chapel Hill’s Kenan Memorial Stadium.
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Invoice Belichick interviews for North Carolina head-coaching job: Sources
It’s at all times vital to comply with the cash when writing about megastar coaches and athletes. However in Belichick’s case, it’s additionally vital to comply with the historical past. And you realize precisely the place I’m going with this: Belichick is the proud proprietor of 333 complete victories as an NFL head coach, leaving him 14 victories from tying the late Don Shula (347) for the all-time document. Whereas it is sensible that Belichick would wish to break the document, I’ve a distinct take from the gang that believes it’d be an opportunity for some kind of celestial payback aimed toward Shula. Sure, Shula made snarky feedback about Belichick in 2007 after the Hoodie was bagged for his position within the Spygate shenanigans. And it’s affordable to imagine Shula’s feedback didn’t go over effectively within the Belichick family.
However Belichick loves historical past, all types of historical past, particularly soccer historical past. Because the son of the late Steve Belichick, a longtime member of the teaching employees at Navy, he grew up with soccer — simply as longtime baseball supervisor Terry Francona grew up with baseball by advantage of being the son of Tito Francona, who performed 15 seasons within the large leagues.
For Belichick to interrupt the document can be to connect the household title to teaching greatness. It wouldn’t simply be honoring his personal accomplishments, however these of his father in addition to his two sons — Steve, the defensive coordinator on the College of Washington, and Brian, who coaches safeties for the Patriots.
However I’m not naive. If breaking the document means knocking Shula out of the highest spot, that’s advantageous. I simply don’t suppose it’s what will get Belichick away from bed every morning.
Nonetheless, it’s doable there received’t be a subsequent NFL head-coaching job for Belichick. It was assumed he’d emerge as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons this season after the Kraft household ended his quarter-century run with the Patriots; as a substitute, Falcons proprietor Arthur Clean employed Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris. In doing so, Clean selected the acquainted over the well-known, Morris having labored for the Falcons for six seasons earlier than becoming a member of the Rams in 2021.
The Insiders on @NFLGameDay Kickoff with @TomPelissero: A take a look at an enchanting state of affairs for Invoice Belichick, who may very well be to UNC what Coach Prime is to Colorado; Plus, Mike Vrabel probably may have a number of choices. pic.twitter.com/NKdu4uYz01
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 6, 2024
The NFL appears to be trending within the course of hiring youthful and youthful coaches. A few of these guys look extra like bouncers than coaches. If it’s been someway back-channeled to Belichick he’s not more likely to land an NFL job, one may see him pivoting to school soccer. It could illustrate that he nonetheless prefers teaching over the multitude of well-compensated media aspect hustles he’s operating lately.
Steve DeOssie, who performed 12 seasons within the NFL as a linebacker and lengthy snapper and has remained associates with Belichick from their time collectively on the New York Giants and (briefly) the Patriots, later labored for Boston’s all-sports WEEI and would do weekly hits with this former coach. “We had him on this one time and I requested him what he thought he’d have achieved along with his life had he by no means gone into teaching,” DeOssie mentioned. “With out hesitation, he mentioned, ‘Trainer.’ I used to be serious about that once I heard he had talked with North Carolina.”
DeOssie doesn’t suppose Belichick will wind up at Chapel Hill, although he known as the concept “attention-grabbing.” Nor do I believe Belichick’s headed there, both. Why? Observe the historical past.
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Belichick broke into the teaching enterprise with the Baltimore Colts in 1975. His title was “particular assistant,” which implies he wasn’t particular in any respect. He was additionally 23 years outdated, beginning on the backside. He then spent a couple of years with the Detroit Lions, the group his father performed for in 1941, after which it was on to the Denver Broncos for a couple of years. He emerged as a legit NFL teaching star throughout his 12 seasons on Invoice Parcells’ employees with the Giants, two of these seasons leading to Tremendous Bowl victories. Subsequent got here his five-year stint as head coach of the Authentic Cleveland Browns, adopted by a yr working below Parcells with the Patriots, adopted by their three years along with the Jets. After which these 24 seasons with the Patriots, with 9 journeys to the Tremendous Bowl, six of them victorious.
That’s 50 years of soccer proper there. A lifetime, virtually. All within the NFL. It’s solely pure he’d wish to return.
However you don’t survive within the NFL for a half-century, be it as a particular assistant or the pinnacle coach of a perennial Tremendous Bowl contender, except you at all times have a Plan B in your play sheet.
May Belichick’s newest Plan B (or Plan C) take him to North Carolina? Perhaps. However I doubt it.
(Picture: Maddie Meyer / Getty Pictures)
