There was a time when the New York Giants would have considered finally hiring Bill Belichick to be their head coach. Many close to the team don’t ever see this coming to fruition, although crazier things have happened.
That hasn’t precluded figures in the national football media from continuing to connect Belichick to the Giants, where he won two Super Bowls as Bill Parcells’ defensive coordinator nearly four decades ago.
Belichick is set to coach the University of North Carolina Tar Heels this season, but the gig could end up being short-lived for several reasons. That would put a 74-year-old Belichick back on the NFL coaching carousel next spring, a ride that has not been kind to him since he left the New England Patriots after the 2023 season.
From Joel Klatt of FOX Sports:
Let’s be honest, Belichick isn’t going to feel a lot of pressure at UNC. If this doesn’t go his way, he’s not going to lose a lot of sleep over this.
Rather, the pressure is on the fan base. You can tell that the fan base is invested in this in a way that’s similar to Colorado and Deion Sanders. They hired possibly the best coach in NFL history, so maybe they’re just happy he’s in Chapel Hill.
That’s why the pressure doesn’t ratchet up in UNC’s schedule. It ratchets in the New York Giants’ schedule, or another NFL team that could be a potential suitor for Belichick. Belichick can certainly pay the $1 million to get out of his contract, and if he has the opportunity to coach the Giants (who he has a history with) or another NFL team, he could opt to go that route.
So, I think the pressure point date here is Dec. 1, when the Giants take on the New England Patriots right before their bye week. If New York is 2-11 entering that game and loses, do you think Brian Daboll is getting fired right after? I think he could. That’s also right when the college football regular season ends. The Giants wouldn’t be able to name their next head coach right after, but Belichick could have an inkling on whether he could become their next head coach around that date.
That’s a bit of a dot-connecting exercise by Klatt. He could end up being closer than we think, though. The Giants are up against the NFL’s toughest schedule, but they are better this year, too, so that could be a wash.
With more experience at quarterback and more depth overall up and down their roster, the Giants could be closer to a .500 team in 2024. That won’t prompt a change in the coaching ranks, but if it does, Belichick isn’t likely to be on the top of their shortlist for the job.
