26 years after he left the New York Jets and won six Super Bowls, the circumstances of NFL icon Bill Belichick’s departure from the Big Apple remain shrouded in mystery. In one of the most bizarre professional moves, the head coach left the team and never looked back. Nearly three decades later, the legendary head coach reflected on the events.
Bill Belichick Recalls Resignation Letter With Jets
Belichick got his first shot as a head coach back when there were still only 28 teams in the NFL. His early years with the Cleveland Browns weren’t much to write home about, with only one winning season — resulting in his firing after 1995. Nonetheless, after spending three years under Bill Parcells with the Jets, Belichick was primed to see his second run as head coach in 2000, with Parcells arranging for Belichick to succeed him.
In a dramatic turn of events, however, Belichick resigned after only one day. Shortly before taking to the podium for his press conference, he wrote on a napkin, “I resign as HC of the NYJ,” and handed it to team officials. The coach subsequently delivered a 50-minute speech explaining his resignation.
Recently, he was asked about his resignation on Barstool Sports’ “Pardon My Take” podcast, particularly about the scribbled message on the napkin.
“Yeah, in retrospect, I don’t think that was the greatest choice,” he admitted. “It wasn’t the classiest thing I’ve ever done, I’ll say that. But I was in a mood at that time.”
Bill Belichick talking about why he resigned as Jets head coach a day after being elevated to the position: https://t.co/rH1F3Mf8vG pic.twitter.com/virZGntiN6
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) May 18, 2026
He commented on how things ultimately worked out for him, recalling the situation at the Jets at the time.
“I had worked for [Browns owner Art Modell]. And the two trains that were coming down the tracks were Dolan and Woody Johnson, and I just felt like I don’t feel comfortable working for whichever one of those guys ends up with the team. Nothing personal. I had a bad experience. Either I was gonna work for a good owner, an owner I felt comfortable with, who I shared a vision with, or I’m not working for that.”
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Former owner Leon Hess had owned the team outright for 15 years before his death in May 1999. His estate was in the process of selling the team, and Belichick wasn’t comfortable working for Johnson, who ultimately bought the team ahead of the 2000 season.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini detailed the famous events of January 4, 2000.
“Moments before he was to be formally introduced as the Jets’ coach, he famously scribbled on a sheet of loose-leaf paper that he was resigning as the ‘HC of the NYJ,'” Cimini wrote. “He handed it to team officials and conducted a 50-minute news conference that went over like fingernails on a chalkboard.”
The rest was history, as Belichick subsequently wrote his name in NFL lore, building a dynasty with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
