Bill Belichick showed interest in unlikely coaching gig before taking UNC job: reports
Nearly 25 years after his tumultuous resignation as head coach of the New York Jets, Bill Belichick is apparently considering that job again.
In 2000, Belichick was about to take over as the next coach of the New York Jets. But during the press conference, he wiped and wrote it on a napkin.
Belichick expressed questions he had about ownership of his decision. He then went to the New England Patriots and made the lives of Jets fans a living hell for the next two decades.
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New York Jets defensive coordinator Bill Belichick against the Carolina Panthers in East Rutherford, NJ Nov. 29, 1998. (Damian Strohmeyer/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
Now, Belichick is UNC’s head coach, but it reportedly didn’t happen without him showing interest … in the Jets.
In the weeks before going to Chapel Hill, The Athletic says, Belichick’s “inner circle” held informal talks with other NFL teams, including the Jets. However, with no formal negotiations, the UNC opportunity arose.
The Jets fired Robert Saleh after a 2-3 start, and have gone 1-7 since.
Head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels stands with athletic director Bubba Cunningham during a press conference on December 12, 2024, in Chapel Hill, NC (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
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There was speculation online that Belichick would return to the New York Giants, where he won two Super Bowls as a defensive coordinator. He coached Lawrence Taylor, the star of the Tar Heels before he was the second overall pick in the 1981 NFL Draft.
It is widely assumed that Belichick was worried about Woody Johnson owning the team, and he still does. Johnson took a break from the party after serving as Donald Trump’s ambassador to the United Kingdom during Trump’s first presidency. Belichick served as the team’s defensive coordinator for three seasons under Bill Parcells, who was also the general manager.
New North Carolina Tar Heels coach Bill Belichick at the Loudermilk Center for Excellence. (Photos by Jim Dedmon/Imagn)
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Belichick shut down any notion that he would go to the NFL after his potential success at UNC, saying he “didn’t come here to leave.”
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