Bill Belichick has ditched his forte, the NFL, and moved to the collegiate level as the head coach of the University of North Carolina. However, before signing the five-year, $50 million deal with UNC, whispers of an NFL return were aplenty for the legendary coach.
The six-time Super Bowl champion head coach (with an additional two as an assistant coach) Belichick was linked to the Dallas Cowboys amid a disappointing season under Mike McCarthy. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, however, had nothing but high praise for Belichick when asked about the situation.
Jerry Jones Establishes Himself as a Bill Belichick Fan
On “105.3 The Fan,” Jones described Belichick as a generational coaching talent, saying, “I don’t know that I’ve seen a coach available, if you will, with his stature. He’s got a lot of gas left in his tank.”
“He’s on the game. He’s savvy. He knows the personnel all over the league. There’s no learning curve there.”
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones when asked on @1053thefan about Bill Belichick potentially coaching in college next year and not the NFL: "I don't know that I've seen a coach available, if you will, with his stature. He's got a lot of gas left in his tank. A lot. He's on the game. He's…
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) December 10, 2024
However, Belichick is headed to Chapel Hill, N.C., and Jones and the Cowboys will have to look elsewhere if McCarthy doesn’t regain momentum. The Cowboys’ owner and GM couldn’t help but rave about the 72-year-old coach, adding, “It doesn’t surprise me that everything there is out here that has a coach concept associated with that he’s not being considered. Bill Belichick could run a major company very effectively.”
“He just has that leadership ability, and in this case, no one knows more football or how to execute it and use that to win a ball game than Bill Belichick,” Jones continued.
Speculation made the rounds on the internet as McCarthy’s Cowboys stumbled to a 5-8 record this season, appearing to be on a crash course toward missing the playoffs for the first time since 2020. Despite McCarthy receiving public support from stars like Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons, questions about his future have persisted all season long, with Belichick one of the prime subjects of those rumors.
If the Cowboys move on from McCarthy, they will likely consider alternatives, including Mike Vrabel and former Jets head coach Rex Ryan. While Jones’ admiration for Belichick might be a question of “What could have been?” his defense of McCarthy remains intact.
MORE: Lil Wayne Surprised by Criticism Surrounding Bill Belichick’s UNC Move
“Mike is an outstanding coach. He has an outstanding record. He’s got great experience. A lot of what he’s about, some of the benefits that we’re having out there, we’re gaining from the type coach that he is,” Jones said after Dallas lost 27-20 to the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night in Week 14.
Jerry Jones on Mike McCarthy coming back: "Well, let me just say this quickly, and Mike is an outstanding coach. He has an outstanding record. He's got great experience. A lot of what he's about, some of the benefits that we're having out there, we're gaining from the type coach…
— Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) December 10, 2024
It’ll be interesting to see whether Jones’ endorsement holds through another disappointing season.