Bill Belichick Reportedly Expressed Interest In Jets’ HC Job

Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports that the Jets were informed around two weeks ago that Bill Belichick had interest in their head-coaching vacancy.

Russini says the Jets were “stunned” to learn this, as Belichick has been highly critical of the franchise including owner Woody Johnson.

Beyond that, Belichick was actually the Jets head coach for less than a day before resigning and accepting the Patriots’ job instead.

According to Russini, Belichick’s inner circle quietly had informal conversations with a few teams to test the waters.

Russini adds that only a “very small circle of people in the Jets building were made aware of Belichick’s interest in the job. However, no meetings or formal conversation ever took place and Belichick has since agreed to become the head coach at North Carolina.

Belichick, 72, got his start coaching in the NFL in 1975 with the then-Baltimore Colts. He had assistant jobs with the Lions and Broncos before landing with the Giants, where he eventually rose to defensive coordinator under legendary HC Bill Parcells. 

The Browns hired Belichick as head coach in 1991 and he was in the post for five years before being fired. He rejoined Parcells as an assistant with the Patriots and left to go with him to the Jets the following year.

He was slated to replace Parcells as head coach of the Jets in 2000 but infamously resigned and was hired by the Patriots, who had to give up a first-round pick to the Jets as compensation. Belichick has been in New England ever since, winning six Super Bowls in 24 years. 

For his career, Belichick has a record of 302-163 over 29 seasons (.655 W/L percentage) and has eight Super Bowl rings, six of them as head coach of the Patriots. He’s a three-time winner of the AP Coach of the Year award.