Despite building his own veritable media empire that even includes opening an “Instaface” account, Bill Belichick still is a coach at heart.
Those who know Belichick best say that despite his burgeoning media résumé, the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach still would like to return to coaching in 2025, but only in the right situations with good jobs.
Belichick is expected to be choosy if and when he returns to the sideline, according to sources.
Belichick had multiple opportunities to join various staffs this past offseason as a defensive coordinator or some type of decorated assistant role. Not only did the San Francisco 49ers consider Belichick for their vacant defensive coordinator job, as head coach Kyle Shanahan said this summer, but so did the Los Angeles Rams, according to league sources.
The Rams had a defensive coordinator vacancy after Raheem Morris left to become the Atlanta Falcons’ head coach, and one of the names on Los Angeles’ wish list was Belichick, who preferred to take his career elsewhere this season.
Now, for the first time in nearly a quarter century, Belichick will not be on the Patriots sideline Sunday when New England kicks off its season in Cincinnati against the Bengals. The last time the Patriots were not coached by Belichick, their current head coach, Jerod Mayo, was 13 years old.
Belichick will be getting ready for Monday night’s “ManningCast” instead, with scheduled appearances there to go along with other media projects. Belichick also is serving as a strategic adviser for the 33rd Team, a media and technology company involved in analyzing football, and is appearing once a week on “The Pat McAfee Show.” He will do a weekly Friday show with Peyton Manning analyzing upcoming “Monday Night Football” matchups and is serving as an analyst on “Inside the NFL.” He also will have a football show on YouTube TV.
According to sources, Belichick is not expected to join Threads, as he did last week with Instagram. Still, the man who rarely appeared to enjoy interacting with the media now has become one of the more significant figures in it.
But it all could be short-lived. Belichick still would like to return as a head coach in 2025 if the right opportunity presents itself. Belichick will be able to keep a close eye on the league through his media projects, tracking its players and readying himself to coach again.
Belichick and the Patriots parted ways after the 2023 season, ending his 24-year stay with the franchise that he led to six Super Bowl titles. His 296 wins with the Patriots (including playoffs) are the second most with one franchise in NFL history, trailing only George Halas (324 with the Chicago Bears). His 333 coaching wins (including playoffs) are the second most all time behind Don Shula (347).
Belichick, 72, was nominated for a Sports Emmy for Outstanding Studio Analyst for his work on the 2019 NFL Films series “NFL 100 All-Time Team,” which aired on NFL Network.
