Imagine being a tortured Falcons fan thinking you’re going to land Belichick but, instead, you get….Raheem Morris.
Ouch.
What is next for BB?
- Thread starter tims4wins
- Start date
Ouch.
It’s entirely possible he wasn’t comfortable with what he was hearing from Blank. He could not coach another day of his life and be extremely comfortable financially, and with offers to do other things. Maybe he’s being super picky.
I think Bill is done as a coach if he has to sit out this year. If nobody is hiring him now, why would they a year from now?
I completely agree with this. And from Bill's perspective, after spending a bunch of time in Nantucket, the booth, etc., I absolutely see him feeling like he's done anyway.
I guess bill has never said he needed absolute control, Bill has never said he wanted to hang around to break Shula's record, and we don't know anything about what he wants or what he is hoping for Post Patriots. It seemed very much that he wanted to stay in New England, but really all. All we have heard to date is the kraft side of the story and media hot takes from the very same media that wanted him gone for so long.
Bill did do two interviews with Atlanta.
That isn't the action of someone who doesn't want to coach.
Guess I should also say that I'm quite sad that it doesn't look like he will be coaching next year. Barring some unfortunate change. I'd really look forward to him having a new setup and plan to follow that team along with the Patriots. I Feel like we are all going to look back and realize we missed a couple years of Bill's career and there won't be another one like that in the history of the game.
Certainly plausible. A lot people assumed the record means as much to him as it does a lot of fans. Obviously, he wouldn’t be interviewing if he had no interest in coaching anymore. But I can also see a year away from the grind, with maybe a media job that suits him, him saying fuck it. I’m first ballet HOFer. My work here is done.
Knowing that Bill uses his offseason to get out and visit with teams and coaches he’s interested in learning from, it’s possible he could use a gap year to really get around. Bill could take the time to plot out some new ideas and concepts to integrate, expand his pool of assistants he’d target with a new team, and so on.
Making a come back at 72/73 would be tough, but he could make a case that the year off was refreshing and revitalizing.
And on the note of “total control” - We certainly never heard Bill make that ask or heard rumblings from the usual reporters with inside scoops that Bill was make those demands. But everyone knows that if you hire Bill, he immediately becomes the center of gravity in your entire organization. And I’m sure that scared a lot of people in Atlanta (at least McKay…).
Making a come back at 72/73 would be tough, but he could make a case that the year off was refreshing and revitalizing.
And on the note of “total control” - We certainly never heard Bill make that ask or heard rumblings from the usual reporters with inside scoops that Bill was make those demands. But everyone knows that if you hire Bill, he immediately becomes the center of gravity in your entire organization. And I’m sure that scared a lot of people in Atlanta (at least McKay…).
People need to hold off and be patient with this. BB to Atlanta never made much sense to me personally and we don’t know what we don’t know. BB and an owner might be shivving someone as we speak, Reid might retire, a lot can happen in the next 6 weeks.
I don’t think it’s Bill the coach keeping him from getting hired yet. Bill ran the whole of football operations here for almost 20 years so even if he hints that he’d be ok not calling personnel shots he’s still casting a big shadow over whoever is in that organization. It might be more than teams want to deal with.
Exactly how I feel. I was really interested - psyched, even - to watch him build a program elsewhere and root for them in every game that wasn't against the Patriots. Alas.
Me too. I’m like 80% hate-watching the NFL as it is so what’s one more?
Does this lead to a Defensive Cooordinator decision for the Patriots (Steve B possibly staying)? Bill hasn’t been mentioned as interviewing for other open coaching positions.
I was talking myself into the falcons. It's only about a 5-hour drive from where I live now so is even thinking about picking up a half season or season tickets and go down to a number of the games if he was hired.
I mean, you could still do this, but just to hate watch instead of root for.
Edit: I wouldn't splurge on season tix though, you'll probably be able to get in the building for under $20 come November when they're 2-9
lol reid will not leave unless he has health issess for 5-6 more years and reid is about 8 10 win seasons from beating shula
Nightmare scenario: Andy Reid retires after winning the Super Bowl this year. Bill takes over, lavishes praise on Mahomes every chance he gets, crushes Shula’s record while coaching until he’s 78 after Mahomes wins his 8th Lombardi trophy.
I am coming around to the idea that he doesn't need to beat Shula.
It seems like so many of these guys who hold the all time records do so because of their longevity and willingness to hang around well past their primes. Shula was so old at the end he looked like he just came from some early bird special. I wish Bill would decide that his legacy will be better if he skips that part of the ride. For me, he's already the GOAT, hanging around for that record might actually take some of the shine off. Let's see if some other coach can win 6 (or more) Super Bowls.
I think he wanted to coach Atlanta. But there were also places where he likely didn’t want to coach, which constrained him a bit.
I have a hard time standing Mahomes and Mahauto, but I would root for them if BB takes over assuming Reid retires. Let them win 3 SuperBowls with Bill and then he can hang it up. (Esp when he lures Mike Evans for a Randy Moss redux season).
He is a student of football history. The "best" is frequently defined in terms other than "the most." While I'm sure he'd like to have "the most," he's probably pretty comfortable being regarded as "the best."
Has a Phil Jackson to the Lakers feel to it and would probably make me scratch my eyes out.
Because next year is a different nobody. I take your point to be an age-related one, which obviously makes sense, but one of the teams looking for coaches next year may feel differently than those looking this year.
Bill isn't exactly a friend of the NFL competition committee who he has criticized over the years and oh by the way is chaired by none other than Rich McKay of the Falcons.
He made recommendations. Didn't always agree with their decisions, but doubt that had much to do with anything.
I kind of feel like if he doesn’t coach again and have success, he won’t be. Which is beyond ridiculous but I listen to lots of sports talk and the growing drumbeat of “he never had succes without Brady NEVER but Brady had success without him” I just feel like will take over the narrative with Bill.
This sucks and I am so very bummed it ended badly here and that he apparently isn’t being given a chance anywhere else. The NFL without BB is something I hadn’t even considered and it’s sad
Mac Jones killing Belichick is like Paris felling Achilles, but at least Paris was known for his accuracy.
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I get the downside as a fan, but the next time *he* cares what those people say will be the first time. He's like his father. Just did his job, and the people who matter know he was great at it. I think he is quite comfortable with his place in history. Im sure he'd like to catch Shula, but he's not going to be Hank Stram with the Saints, Franco Harris with the Seahawks or OJ with the Niners to do it.
Man I sure hope not. And I get what you’re saying, but he is human and being so close to passing Shula has got to be so tantalizing. Also, I believe the man truly still loves coaching. It’s one thing to be Saban and come to the realization you’ve had enough; it’s got to suck for him to want to keep going but not see any opportunities. If I’m this bummed can’t imagine how he feels.
We are feeling bad for Bill Belichick now? He’s had a pretty good life, I don’t think he really cares about us. Nothing can take away what the Patriots accomplished when he was here; I’m not so sure why what other people think about his career and how it stacks up to others matters to so many, it doesn’t change what happened here and what it meant to each of us
All of what you said is 100% correct.
That said, his coaching record, and even his GM record, is indisputably remarkable (ignoring the comments from idiots and mouthbreathers). And so it is a bit strange, unexpected, and even sad that he is likely not going to be coaching in the NFL this coming season. And, yes if he is indeed done with coaching, it does suck as a fan that there will be a media narrative that he didn't match Shula's artificial wins record, and an inane media narrative that he "didn't win anything without Brady". He should be a first ballot Hall of Famer when he is finally eligible, and should likewise be inducted into the Pats Hall of Fame when first eligible. And those same stale narratives will get repeated at that time as well. At the very least, they are a bit irritating.
I'm sure he's disappointed that things ended the way they did. He certainly had hoped to stay in New England for at least another couple of seasons, and that didn't happen. He's probably rightfully a bit peeved that his track record didn't earn him a longer leash to move on from Mac Jones. But, at the same time, he'll land on his feet, and it's not like he needs the money. It is what it is.
No idea if it did or if @jsinger121 is right but he’s not the first person to make that connection.
Mike Florio brought it up after BB interviewed with the Falcons and Blank seemed to be dragging his feet
If he does take a year off with the intention of coming back a year later, watch out for the job Daboll does with the Giants in year 3.
He stumbled in year two and allegedly has some anger issues per his coaches leaking stories over the past few weeks.
BB still has a huge fondness of the Giants organization, and while it seems the timing may be off a year, if he takes a year off that may fix the timing issue.
He stumbled in year two and allegedly has some anger issues per his coaches leaking stories over the past few weeks.
BB still has a huge fondness of the Giants organization, and while it seems the timing may be off a year, if he takes a year off that may fix the timing issue.
Just wait until Mayo struggles in year 1 and we get the "well maybe Bill will come back to NE for a few years" narratives. It's going to be insufferable. Rich McKay could have at least saved us from that.
Mad Dog addressed this on his radio show last week-said years ago he talked with one of the Mara’s and they called BB the most despicable person they’d ever met, or something like that. He was adamant the Giants would never ever ever hire Bill.
The Giants currently do need a defensive coordinator. If Bill were as Machiavellian as believed, taking that job under Daboll would be the move, since it would position him to get hired as Daboll's replacement should Daboll get fired early if the Giants struggle out of the gate. (Just like the move Doc Rivers recently pulled off in Milwaukee.)
The only reason why I wouldn't put that much stock in this is Mad Dog and his former partner have always had a beef with Bill ever since he walked away from the Jets job. (And Belichick's shunning their show for Joe Benigno's back in their WFAN days did not help in that regard.)
Mike and the Mad Dog's sources are as fresh and relevant as their references. (Jim Taylor, Otto Graham, Mel Hein, Don Hutson...)
I’m sure there is a certain level of self preservation going on in some of these organizations and front offices who have owners enamored with Bill. If hiring him means they will have less power or even be moved out completely, its understandable why they may use whatever influence they have with the owner to get him to go in another direction.