Bill Belichick reached out to the New York Jets regarding their head coaching vacancy before accepting the position at the University of North Carolina, according to a source familiar with the situation.
The 72-year-old Belichick was introduced as North Carolina’s football coach on Thursday. Prior to this announcement, he contacted the Jets, who recently fired head coach Robert Saleh on October 8 and appointed defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich as the interim coach.
The source, who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity, indicated that there were no formal meetings or discussions between Belichick and the Jets. This information was first reported by The Athletic, while the New York Post noted that Belichick personally reached out, a surprising move given his historically strained relationship with the franchise.
Belichick has publicly criticized Jets owner Woody Johnson and the team, which currently holds a 3-10 record, marking their 14th consecutive season without a playoff appearance—the longest active drought in the NFL. The Jets are also in the process of searching for a new general manager following the firing of Joe Douglas on November 19.
Belichick served as an assistant under coach Bill Parcells with the Jets from 1997 to 1999 and was poised to become the head coach after Parcells stepped down. However, he resigned after just one day to accept the same position with the New England Patriots, where he achieved unprecedented success, winning six Super Bowl titles alongside quarterback Tom Brady.
The Jets’ history with Belichick also includes the infamous Spygate scandal in 2007, initiated by then-Jets coach Eric Mangini, a former Belichick assistant. This incident resulted in fines for Belichick and the Patriots for illegally videotaping signals from Jets coaches during a game.
Belichick’s tenure with the Patriots concluded after last season, marking the end of one of the most successful coaching careers in NFL history. His 333 career wins, including regular season and postseason games, rank second only to Don Shula’s 347, and his 31 playoff victories are the most in league history.
Last offseason, Belichick interviewed for the head coaching position with the Atlanta Falcons but remained out of the NFL this season before taking the role at North Carolina.
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