Bill Belichick back to NFL? Multiple teams, including the Raiders, are eyeing UNC coach: report
Is it possible that Bill Belichick won't even be one and done at North Carolina?
Multiple NFL teams, including the Las Vegas Raiders, according to NFL Media's Tom Pelissero, have checked in with the legendary football coach, who was hired by UNC last month. Tom Brady, who now owns a minority stake of the Raiders and was Belichick's quarterback during the New England Patriots' two-decade dynasty, has been gauging his former coach's interest in an NFL return, per the report.
Belichick and the Patriots parted ways after 24 years following the 2023 season. He interviewed multiple times with the Atlanta Falcons last year when they were searching for a coach, but they ultimately settled on Raheem Morris. Belichick spent the balance of 2024 working on various media endeavors while remaining around the game in other capacities.
The Raiders fired former coach Antonio Pierce on Tuesday following a 4-13 season, his first full one at the helm. Pierce went 5-4 as the Raiders' interim coach in 2023 after taking over for Josh McDaniels, who was dismissed following an embarrassing Monday night loss at Detroit.
Five other teams are currently without a head coach: The Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints, New England Patriots and New York Jets. Belichick, twice an interim head coach for the Jets — though he never actually coached a game for them — has even recently remained critical of an organization that was a feckless rival of the Patriots during their reign.
It's not clear which other club or clubs might be pursuing him.
Named the Tar Heels' head man on Dec. 11, Belichick, who's never worked as a college coach, has been putting together his staff ever since. His five-year contract includes a $10 million buyout if he leaves before June 1.
"I had some good years in the NFL, so that was OK. But this is really kind of a dream come true," Belichick said during his introductory press conference in Chapel Hill on Dec. 12.
Asked at the time about the possibility of an NFL return if circumstances changed, Belichick replied: "I didn't come here to leave."
The Raiders have not replied to a USA TODAY Sports request for a comment as it pertains to their coaching search.
Belichick, 72, who won a record six Lombardi Trophies with New England and earned two more rings as the New York Giants' defensive coordinator in 1986 and 1990, has 333 victories as an NFL head coach, second only to Hall of Famer Don Shula (347).
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