The NFL world was set ablaze last week with the news that Bill Belichick was interviewing with the University of North Carolina for their vacant head coaching position. Because he has never coached in college and was expected to pursue opportunities in the NFL during the 2025 offseason, this was an unexpected development for the legendary head coach.
The news seemed to imply that his options around the league were slimmer than they were projected to be, with teams who will likely have an opening not expressing much interest in hiring the 8-time Super Bowl champion.
Reports seemed to confirm that while also revealing more motivation for Belichick to get into the college scene, as part of the deal with UNC is that his son Stephen, and former Patriots defensive coordinator, would succeed him when he decided to retire. Setting up a future for his son might be the factor that will cause him to leave the NFL and test things out in the NCCAF.
We'll have to wait to see what happens, but it's clear from some of the players Belichick has worked with closely that few believe he would like the move from the NFL to the college scene.
Tom Brady, Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski don't believe Bill Belichick would enjoy coaching in college
During a fun appearance on FOX Sports on Sunday morning, Tom Brady, Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski were asked about the rumors surrounding their longtime former head coach.
All had the same blunt response, overwhelmingly saying they don't believe Belichick would like all that being a college football head coach entails, mostly the recruiting process. The trio collectively agreed they couldn't imagine the historically serious and stern coach dealing with players that young and the difference in how things are handled, with Brady emphasizing that with his more detailed response.
Given how much they know Belichick, they probably know better than anyone outside his kids whether getting into coaching college football would be the right fit for his future. While it makes sense to try and help his son line up a job, it doesn't necessarily make sense for him to step away from his goals in the NFL and move to college when he should have plenty of opportunities to get back onto an NFL sideline.
It's certainly possible he hasn't received much interest, despite there still being four weeks left in the regular season, and this feels more like a sure thing and avoids the waiting process for the 2025 NFL offseason.
However, it doesn't align with what we've heard regarding his desire to get back into the NFL and his connections to several teams that will likely be looking for a new head coach next year.
No matter what happens, seeing where Belichick winds up for the 2025 season will be interesting, especially after putting together a memorable and universally liked career in the media. It would be nice to see him become the winningest coach in the history of the NFL, even if it's not with the Patriots, and it would (kind of) be a shame to see him not accomplish that. But if he chooses to pursue a college career, Patriots fans know where they can support him in the future.
