NEWSLETTER
There is a growing consensus that Bill Belichick will coach in 2025.
However, what is unknown – at this point – is where Belichick will be taking his talents after a year off from coaching in the NFL.
ESPN’s Chris Low has details on Bill Belichick’s reported interest in coaching the University of North Carolina football team. Most folks know Carolina as a basketball school. After all, it is the university that produced The G.O.A.T. hooper (and a whole bunch of other NBA stars and standouts). Some sports fans might also be aware of UNC’s baseball prowess. But we should also acknowledge the football side of things, especially since Carolina product Drake Maye is coming on strong as a rookie quarterback with the New England Patriots. Even with the college football landscape being in a constant state of change, the Tar Heels should land a quality head coach candidate.
Maybe it is Bill Belichick. But my feeling is that it probably won’t be, particularly after hearing NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero saying that if Belichick was going to coach in the NFL in 2025, he would be doing so at a job that has not yet opened. You can watch the full segment featuring Pelissero and fellow football news breaker Ian Rapoport below:
The Insiders on @NFLGameDay Kickoff with @TomPelissero: A look at a fascinating situation for Bill Belichick, who could be to UNC what Coach Prime is to Colorado; Plus, Mike Vrabel likely will have multiple options. pic.twitter.com/NKdu4uYz01— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 6, 2024
What about Bill Belichick and the Chicago Bears?
Given Belichick’s reported interest in the North Carolina job and Tom Pelissero mentioning that the former Patriots head coach’s next NFL destination might be at a job that hasn’t opened up yet, it is tough to envision Bill and the Bears being a good fit for each other. Yes, I realize how out-of-pocket it looks to read that the Chicago Bears would not be a quality fit for arguably the greatest football coach of all time. But the reality is that it does not seem realistic. Nevertheless, the conversation has begun to surface.
Last week, one NFL insider wondered if Bill Belichick would be a fit for the Bears. In exploring storylines around the league, ESPN’s Dan Graziano explained why Belichick might not make sense as a target for Chicago’s football team in this exchange with fellow league reporter Jeremy Fowler:
FOWLER: Speaking of tradition, the Bears have plenty of that. They would have every reason to go for an offensive-minded coach should they move on from Matt Eberflus, but would Belichick work in Chicago?
GRAZIANO: I think Bears team president Kevin Warren, who’s trying to get a new stadium built, would be interested in a splashy hire if they moved on from Eberflus. And yes, that’s still an if. Remember, this time last year the whole league was sure Eberflus wouldn’t be back in 2024. That said, while I hear you on Belichick potentially being OK giving up some control, I’ll believe it when I see it. Warren and GM Ryan Poles have a lot of power in that building, and bringing in Belichick would require some sort of change in the power structure.
Back in 2021, Bears Chairman George McCaskey said he was not inclined to change the team’s structure in any way. Three years later, I don’t feel as if Mr. McCaskey is changing his tune. However, there seems to have been a shift in the dynamic of how the team president and general manager work together — specifically when it comes to the coach hiring process. To be clear, GM Ryan Poles answers to President Kevin Warren. Given that relationship, it is tough for me to envision the Bears hiring a head coach who usurps Poles’ power and answers to Warren and George McCaskey.
This isn’t to say that it can’t happen. And who’s to say it can’t happen with Bill Belichick? But it just doesn’t feel like it would be something that happens in 2025.
INSIDE THE CHICAGO BEARS ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE: Who is in Charge at Halas Hall?
All things considered, I am not all that sure Bill Belichick would even want to coach the Bears. Belichick has come off as unimpressed with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. However, I do wonder if his opinion has evolved as the year has gone on and QB1 has shown improvements. Additionally, Belichick has made it clear that he does not love Chicago’s roster construction. If Belichick still feels that strongly, I cannot envision him coming here — as a coach in his 70s — and tearing it down to rebuild something in his likeness. That wouldn’t make sense for him or the organization.
In the end, I believe it will be worth keeping tabs on where Bill Belichick lands. Whether it is in the college or pros, I’ll be curious to see what is next for Belichick. Frankly, I feel as if he is best served to stick to television now that he has proven that he is more than a joyless skin suit. But perhaps he wants to prove that he can be engaging and entertaining while also winning some more football games. Stay tuned.
