Few expected the former New England Patriots coach to take his talents to college football, but expectations were still high that he could help transform the North Carolina Tar Heels. Instead, the experiment has been a disaster, as North Carolina finished the season 4–8, the third-worst record in the ACC.
With his future in Division I football now in doubt, Bill Belichick may be better suited for a return to the NFL. As coaching changes around the league have already begun, one analyst has suggested that he could emerge as a strong candidate for a team in the NFC South.
Would Bill Belichick Be Open to an NFL Return?
Despite a late-season surge from the Atlanta Falcons that saw them win four games in a row to close out the regular season, they became the first team to clean the house. Atlanta fired both head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot shortly before the regular season concluded with the Ravens-Steelers showdown.
As a result, NFL analyst Skip Bayless suggested the Falcons’ owner, Arthur Blank, would be bringing in Belichick as the team’s next head coach.
“Watch Blank hire Belichick,” he wrote on X.
The connection to the Falcons makes sense. Before hiring Morris as the head coach in 2024, Belichick had been interviewed and appeared to be Atlanta’s choice. However, the team ultimately went with Morris, who is now fired after making several questionable decisions during the season.
NFL insider Josina Anderson also recently suggested that the Falcons are among the teams interested in Belichick. However, everything hinges on whether he decides to leave college football, which hasn’t appeared to be the case so far this season.
The six-time Super Bowl-winning coach was linked to the New York Giants head coaching vacancy in the middle of the season but was quick to dismiss the rumors and said he had “not and will not pursue any NFL head coaching vacancies.”
Things have certainly changed since, with the Tar Heels’ season having been a disappointment, but it would take a fortune to coax the 73-year-old out of college football. Belichick’s five-year contract with UNC includes a $10 million annual base salary, plus monetary incentives for winning milestones.
Belichick is no longer the coach who led New England to six Super Bowls, and his late-stage roster decisions with the Patriots raised concerns. Combined with a massive buyout attached to his contract, a return to NFL coaching appears unlikely. For now, Belichick seems set to remain in college football, even as speculation continues.
