Patriots Ex Steve Belichick Reveals Bill Update: ‘Pursuing Other Stuff’
Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick may no longer be a mainstay at the team’s front offices at One Patriots Place in Foxboro.
However, the game of football will never be far from his heart.
In fact, his eldest son — and ex-Pats outside linebackers coach — Steve Belichick, recently advised that the legendary coach is putting his “mutual and amicable” parting of the ways with the Patriots behind him and looking to the future.
“I think he’s good,” Steve Belichick said during an appearance on former Patriots defender Chris Long’s Green Light podcast. “Let this stuff roll off your back and move forward. He doesn’t dwell, unless we lost a game and he needs to get on some guys. But mentally you got to turn the page,”
“He’s definitely pursuing some other stuff, whether it’s TV, or be a regular on the Green Light.”
Cred: USA Today Sports Images
For nearly a quarter-century, New England’s head coach has been one of the most successful at his position in this, or any sport. After all, few, if any, have ever enjoyed the level of success Belichick has while at the Patriots helm. Six Super Bowl championships, three AP Coach of the Year awards, and nine conference titles are just some of the accolades which Belichick has collected during his time on the sidelines.
Of course, Belichick is certainly not without blame for his current employment status. Following a 4-13 finish - Belichick’s worst season in New England - the 71-year-old’s future as Patriots coach and de facto general manager became precarious, at best. New England missed the playoffs for the third time in the last four seasons. Rumors of in-fighting within his coaching staff, as well as questionable in-game decision-making, nearly unraveled the Belichickian mystique before season’s end. A listless performance in their 17-3 season-ending loss to the New York Jets was the final straw which ultimately cost Belichick his job.
The Patriots officially hired former inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo as the 15th head coach in franchise history just one day after officially parting ways with Belichick.
While the market for Belichick’s services was not expected to be excessively robust, its barrenness came as somewhat of a surprise. Though several teams were in the market for a new head coach, the sustained success with which he guided the Patriots over the past two-plus decades was conveniently forgotten — or perhaps egregiously overlooked — in the recent running of the NFL coaching carousel. Belichick was only seriously linked to the Atlanta Falcons opening, for which Raheem Morris was eventually hired.
While Belichick may remain on the proverbial sidelines in 2024, it appears clear from his son’s comments that he intends to remain active. Earlier this week, Nebraska University announced that the eight-time Super Bowl champion will be the headline speaker at its X&Os Clinic April 5-6.
Having been recently named as the defenisve coordinator at the University of Washington, Steve Belichick would also not rule out the occasional visit from his famous Dad.
“His hobbies would still be to, I would say, critique football,” Steve said regarding his father’s future plans. “He was excited when I came out here [University of Washington] because he got to evaluate the scheme last year, evaluate the players last year. I’m sure he’ll come out here at some point to do some stuff. But the guy just loves football, so there’s definitely that element.”
Whether Belichick intends to return to the NFL sidelines in the future is still a matter of conjecture. Just 14 head-coaching wins shy of tying coach Don Shula’s record of 347, Belichick is expected to continue the pursuit of his goal. Still, his next opportunity will be one which benefits both his needs and that of his new team.
In the meantime, Bill Belichick and the game of football do not appear to be headed for a permanent split, just yet.
