Bill Belichick runs to UNC, rejects the NFL before it rejects him

Bill Belichick’s motivation goes far beyond the hunt for Don Shula.

By leaving the NFL and resuming his coaching career at the University of North Carolina, the 72-year-old Belichick provided what was likely the definitive answer to the notion that he was excited to leave his mark as the winningest coach in league history.

No, heading into the collegiate level, Belichick’s NFL legacy is defined only by the six Super Bowl championship rings he won during his 23 seasons as coach of the New England Patriots – plus two more rings as defensive coordinator of the New York Giants.

That and a bust at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.

This stunning development — the five-year deal with an average annual salary that reportedly could be well below the estimated $22 million salary he earned in his last contract with the Patriots — is one such move by Belichick.

NFL STATISTICS CENTER: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

Although many, including some of his most prominent Patriots players, doubted it would happen after reports surfaced last week that he had applied to the school for Mack Brown’s old job.

Six of the seven NFL teams other than the Patriots that had openings after last season didn’t even bother to interview Belichick?

Well, it’s on to Chapel Hill.

Belichick could have waited a few weeks for the next NFL recruiting cycle to begin in earnest, including the three teams that had already fired their coach this season, but apparently he wasn’t ready to prepare for another NFL rejection. Additionally, teams with open or planned openings would certainly have signaled interest by now.

Of course, Belichick’s NFL prospects have been complicated by the expectation that he would have complete control of football operations, including personnel and GM power, making him a no-go for many franchises. It’s unclear to what extent Belichick would have pushed back from this perception of desired power had he gotten an NFL job — and perhaps that depended on the specific franchise and who already holds key positions — but that’s not the case at this point everything .

And it’s probably fitting that if Belichick were to take a college job, it would be in Chapel Hill, where his late father Steve was an assistant coach for three years in the early to mid-1950s, when Belichick was just a toddler .

Belichick’s father was an assistant coach and scout in the Navy for 33 years, where Bill was introduced to football.

All these years later, Belichick claimed, “I’ve always wanted to coach in college,” according to a UNC statement.

Say it loud: Belichick is a Tar Heel. Strange but true.

Undoubtedly, this is a huge loss for the NFL, and it’s not because of the hype that might have surrounded Belichick in pursuit of the late Shula’s record as the winningest coach in NFL history. While Belichick holds the record for career postseason wins with a 31-13 record, his win total of 333 only exceeded Shula’s output by 15. And Belichick’s record of 302 regular-season wins trails Shula’s 328 back.

Barring another unexpected episode, Shula’s record is now safe.

It’s optics to a certain extent. If a man with six Super Bowl rings (OK, eight) can’t get another shot at coaching, then, as Lombardi might have said, “What the hell is going on?”

In any case, Belichick sent his own message when he left the NFL: It’s still about football.

It turns out that the opportunity to work as a coach has greater appeal than chasing the record. No, Belichick has never entertained the idea that he would want to continue coaching because of the record. The record hunt became a byproduct of his success and longevity.

He left it to the rest of us, knowing his appreciation for the story, to judge how motivated he was to pursue Shula.

Now we know.

Sure, the college landscape has changed so dramatically in recent years that Belichick envisions developing a program that will serve as an NFL pipeline. With names, pictures and likenesses now on the ATMs that have equipped schools and superconferences for generations, major college football is becoming increasingly professional.

Still, as Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman discussed in a thrilling segment on Fox’s pregame show Sunday, the idea of Belichick recruiting 18-year-olds to play for him requires some imagination.

On the other hand, we shouldn’t undercut the kids – or Belichick. You can believe that UNC figures it just acquired some top players, lured by the chance to be coached by Belichick toward their NFL dream. Colorado’s program, rebuilt by “Coach Prime,” aka Deion Sanders, can certainly attest to that.

How well Belichick is able to handle a younger generation could raise other questions. Then again, he had about 50 years in his final Patriots rookie classes. And when it comes to coaching football, a win would go a long way toward retention. And he will likely provide his players with plenty of help navigating other aspects of life, including academics and social development.

Belichick will ultimately be judged at the college level the same way he was at the NFL level: on football. And through the victories and defeats.

Breaking News

Dellupodisabato

Bill Belichick runs to UNC, rejects the NFL before it rejects him — again

Leave a Reply Cancel reply