Nearly a year ago from right now, Bill Belichick made his final press conference appearance as New England Patriots head coach. It was a somber but far from unexpected end to things. He'd led them to an uninspiring 15-25 record over his final 40 games and 4-13 in his farewell tour. From a pure coaching standpoint, Belichick, to his credit, kept a group with a clear talent deficit engaged from camp through Week 18. But when he's also the very man responsible for how his team, coaching staff, and front office run/operate, it's not hard to see why things ended how they did.
The greatest coach in the history of football's ultimate pitfall was that he had lost the fastball as GM/President of Football Ops. From being too loyal to his inner circle of coaching friends and not being open to outside voices (which led to Matt Patricia and Joe Judge being responsible for Mac Jones' development in year two), from any number of poor draft picks, trades, and free agent moves since about 2019, the positives didn't do enough to outweigh the negatives, especially after the loss of Tom Brady in the spring of 2020.
Ironic as it may be, given historical context, the Atlanta Falcons were the lone team in the NFL ranks that showed any tangible interest in Belichick at the beginning of the year. While they seemed genuine in their pursuit, talks ultimately fizzled out after a second meeting, despite Bill thinking the job was his the day they hired Raheem Morris. Rumored calls between Arthur Blank and Robert Kraft almost certainly factored into the switch, but as one Falcons' source told an ESPN group featuring Jeremy Fowler, "If you hire [Bill], you hire all of him, an entire philosophy and ethos stemming from one man's ethic and ingenuity."
With no NFL interest in the best to ever do it persisting through the year, things swiftly progressed between Belichick and the University of North Carolina. A rumored 400-page manifesto on organizational structure and things of that nature was put into the hands of the school. A day after that report dropped, Bill Belichick, who hasn't coached at the college level in any capacity in his near 50-year career, is now set to lead the entire operation at the school his late father worked at, his favorite player ever, Lawrence Taylor cut his teeth, and where the QB of the NFL squad that dumped him (Drake Maye) was enrolled at this time last year. Funny how everything ties together.
What's Belichick's M.O. in Chapel Hill
Earlier this week, Belichick took a look at what his objective would have been had he gotten the green light from UNC for his weekly Pat McAfee Show spot.
"Let me put this in capital letters, if, 'I.F.' I was in a college program, that college program would be a pipeline to the NFL for players that had ability to play in the NFL," Belichick said. "It would be a professional program: training, nutrition, scheme, coaching, techniques, that would transfer to the NFL. It will be an NFL program at a college level. I feel very confident that I have the contacts in the NFL to pave the way for those players that would have the opportunity to compete in the National Football League."
In the now-immortal words of Cardale Jones, "We ain't here to play SCHOOL." Especially in the age of NIL, the transfer portal, and guys wanting to hone their craft, boost their draft stock, and make it to the NFL under the guidance of BILL BELICHICK, that sounds like one hell of a recruiting pitch. Never mind that UNC isn't exactly known for being a "Football School," having not won the ACC since 1980 and with only two NY6 Bowl game appearances since the 2000 season.
For all his faults in recent years, Belichick's ability to coach guys up hasn't been questioned much. Recruiting and working the portal is a whole 'nother story, but going to NFL talent evaluators at the combine/pre-draft with the football IQ, discipline, and overall chops needed to play for Belichick will be an unimaginable plus for guys wanting to go pro.
Now, as a Patriots fan, the one thing that would worry me is if Bill brings "the Band" back together in its entirety with no new fresh voices (Mike Lombardi is already confirmed as UNC's GM, so not exactly a great start!!!). That doesn't mean sacrificing experience for youth, but it would be a mistake to fall back on Josh McDaniels, Matt Patricia, and Joe Judge all at once. He could add some Nick Saban contacts that could transition seamlessly, or even hypothetically bring in a guy like Syracuse WR coach Ross Douglas, who spent three years in New England under Belichick.
As a side note, if a certain former Raiders head coach ends up in Chapel Hill, have fun with the blatantly telegraphed third and medium screens and the bad end-of-half-play calling Tar Heel fans; you'll love it, trust me.
Succession
One of the more grounded realities is that Belichick will be 73 years old this April. This is not a long-term fix for the Tar Heels, but as has been reported, it is a package deal and family affair.
Meet Steve Belichick, ex-Patriots safeties/co-DC and, as of right now, current Washington Huskies DC. Bill's eldest son was believed to be a part of this and, in turn, the long-term fixture at head coach for North Carolina.
You can't really blame anyone for calling his initial hiring in New England anything other than nepotism. However, Steven was well respected in that building as he moved into a co-DC role with Jerod Mayo, and that goodwill has followed him to the University of Washington, finishing the year with the No. 5 pass defense in the nation and in contention with some talent heavy secondaries like Texas, Ohio State, and (regrettably) Notre Dame. That's excellent for a team that took heavy losses in the secondary via the transfer portal and a few key guys from 2023, such as Bralen Trice, to the NFL draft and moving over to the Big10. Getting out of Bill's shadow was the best thing that could've happened to Steve since we know he can, at least as a coordinator, run a tight ship.
For UNC, it's easy to see why this all happened. You're not exactly a blue blood in football, and after finishing in the bottom half of the ACC standings, what does a program like UNC have to lose by accepting a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? Adding Belichick and his inner circle gives you a clear structure for better and potentially for worse, and perhaps more importantly, you're a significantly more sexy option for recruits and transfer portal players looking to make the big bucks in the NFL. As for Bill, well, he's getting what he's always valued: control. A win-win move here, if you will.
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