Bill Belichick Rumors: ‘Disgusted’ Coach Sending Vulgar Message To NFL?
Bill Belichick is leaving behind the NFL — perhaps for good — to join the college football ranks as the head coach at North Carolina.
It’s a shocking development, as many assumed Belichick eventually would land another NFL job after a dynastic run with the New England Patriots. But maybe we shouldn’t be that surprised given how everything unfolded in recent months.
Belichick, passed over by the Atlanta Falcons, among others, last offseason, seemingly became an outcast in NFL circles. And the former Patriots head coach did little to hide his frustration with how the league has evolved in recent years.
“But something about ending his career by not chasing Don Shula’s NFL wins record, but instead on campus, appealed to Belichick,” ESPN’s Seth Wickersham wrote in a piece published Thursday on ESPN.com. “When he agreed to terms with North Carolina, it was not only because of a new challenge after coaching only in the NFL since 1975, at a school where his father, Steve, had worked when Bill was a boy, and not only because his future in the pros was unclear.
“It was because, in the words of a confidant, Belichick is ‘disgusted’ in what he believes the NFL had become.”
Strong stance. But how about something even stronger?
“This is a big (expletive) you to the NFL,” another Belichick confidant said, according to Wickersham.
It’ll be fascinating to see how UNC’s program changes with Belichick leading the charge. His gridiron accolades — which include six Super Bowl titles as New England’s head coach — speak for themselves. And he’s long been considered a football genius.
This is a whole different ball of wax, obviously. There will be adjustments — perhaps even growing pains — as Belichick, 72, navigates the college life. The Tar Heels probably won’t become a national powerhouse overnight.
Now, will the NFL miss Belichick, with him officially moving on after a year making the media rounds? Who knows. It sure doesn’t sound like he’ll miss the NFL, though.