Over the past week, there have been various reports that former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick’s future may be in college football. With rumored interviews with the North Carolina Tar Heels, many fans have begun wondering why certain NFL teams appear to not be interested in the six-time Super Bowl champion head coach.
Since mutually agreeing to part ways with the Patriots at the conclusion of last season, Belichick has transitioned into a media role as an analyst. Though he has been working with many different companies, fans and analysts have expected that he may return to the professional coaching ranks in the future.
Social Media Reaction to Latest Bill Belichick News
Earlier today, Pro Football Talk indicated that Belichick has inquired about potential college-level vacancies due to a surprising lack of interest from the NFL level.
“Bill Belichick is ‘very surprised’ he has yet to hear from NFL teams about 2025, which is one of the reasons he’s exploring college football,” the post explained.
Bill Belichick is "very surprised" he has yet to hear from NFL teams about 2025, which is one of the reasons he's exploring college football. https://t.co/dmN5xrQTtv
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) December 9, 2024
In response to this, one social media user questioned whether NFL teams were allowed to begin discussions with Belichick, considering the rumored Dallas Cowboys and Cincinnati Bengals franchises still have a coach employed.
Responding to that comment, one individual explained how the Cowboys need to remove the current regime and start a new era led by Belichick.
“Dallas needs to start a coup and get rid of Jerry and Mike while they have an opportunity to get Bill,” they stated.
However, another user expressed their confusion with the situation, citing a former rumor that Belichick had offers from numerous NFL franchises.
“Weird. NFL Insider on Rich Eisen’s show said at least 3 teams had already talked to Bill and that was 2 weeks ago,” they explained.
Weird. NFL Insider on Rich Eisen's show said at least 3 teams had already talked to Bill and that was 2 weeks ago.
— Rhodes Rants (@rhodesrants) December 9, 2024
Another person, however, outlined how they were not too surprised as Belichick was “Not that guy anymore.”
Not that guy anymore
— NinersFaithful17 (@niner45651) December 9, 2024
Does a Belichick Return Make Sense for the Cowboys?
Though Mike McCarthy is still the head coach of the Cowboys, there is an expectation that this will be his final campaign in charge of America’s Team. In addition to currently being on an expiring contract, McCarthy has led the Cowboys to a disappointing season by many accounts. At the time of this writing, Dallas is third in the NFC East with a 5-7 record and will most likely not make the playoffs this year.
Bringing in Belichick, a coach with a winning pedigree and a team-focused mindset, thus, makes a lot of sense. Though he doesn’t bring the new generation of play-calling or formation dynamics, Belichick is a proven winner who can instantly fix some of the leadership problems occurring within the Cowboys’ locker room.
While it remains to be seen where Belichick will coach next season, it’s clear many fans are surprised to hear about his lack of interest from NFL clubs.