Before taking over head coaching duties at the University of North Carolina, Bill Belichick was so hungry to return to an NFL sideline he reportedly gazed upon a reunion with the team he walked away from nearly 24 years ago, the New York Jets.
According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the Jets were “stunned” to hear Belichick expressed interest in the team’s head coaching job.
“About two weeks ago, the New York Jets were informed (and were stunned to learn) that there was interest in their organization coming from none other than … Bill Belichick,” wrote Russini on Saturday.
Despite the reported interest in the position, Russini later clarified that while his inner circle engaged in informal conversations with several teams to gauge interest, no formal meetings or discussions ever materialized with the Jets.
“For months, Belichick’s inner circle quietly conducted informal conversations with a few teams, testing the waters,” Russini added. “A very small circle of people in the Jets building were made aware of his interest, though I was told no meeting or formal conversation ever happened because the UNC opportunity popped up. So, in the end, none of the talks — with the Jets or any other NFL team — turned into anything serious, and now North Carolina is Chapel Bill.”
Did Belichick really have interest in the job?
Given Russini’s questionable history of bombshell and often suspect reports regarding the Jets, paired with Belichick’s long-standing rivalry with the organization, the idea of a potential second stint with Belichick seemed very unlikely.
However, Brian Costello of the New York Post later confirmed via a source that Belichick himself reached out to the Jets to express interest. Costello added that there was no formal meeting or conversation, supporting Russini’s report.
It makes sense that Belichick may have had some interest in the Jets’ opening. They are loaded with talent on paper and have an accomplished veteran quarterback with a cerebral football mind, which could make them an appealing win-now destination for the 72-year-old coach.
Although it appears that Belichick’s camp indeed reached out to the Jets, you never know if Belichick was just playing games with his longtime rival, given his history of attempting to spite them. It is also possible that Mike Tannenbaum and The 33rd Team, leaders of the Jets’ search party, are merely attempting to make the job look more coveted to improve the field of potential applicants.
Ultimately, the three-time NFL Coach of the Year took the head coaching reins at the University of North Carolina, indicating the Jets were nothing more than a potential brief consideration.
