I Can't Get Behind This

Bill Belichick is widely regarded as the greatest NFL coach of all time. Six Super Bowl championships, countless playoff victories, and his reputation as the best defensive mind in football history speak for themselves. Now, it seems "The Hoodie" is heading back to college, as reports suggest he’s on the verge of agreeing to a deal to become the head coach at the University of North Carolina. And for what it's worth and not that my opinion matters, but I very much do not like this move.

Belichick belongs on the NFL sideline, not college. College football is not just about scheming for Saturday's, it also involves recruiting, building relationships with young players, and handling the never-ending pandemonium that comes with the NCAA. Professional athletes have benefited greatly from Belichick's straightforward, tough style of coaching, but would 18-year-olds juggling football, school, and campus life find it appealing? Most likely not. Hell, if Belichick says one thing that hurts their feelings, they may decide it's time to leave Chapel Hill and enter the transfer portal. I just can't see Belichick having the patience for that.

And let’s not forget, this is Bill Belichick—this man lives for professional football, one of the game's great historians. It just will not feel right to watch him pace the sidelines in baby blue against Syracuse or Duke when he should helping us come up with a plan to take down Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen.

Not to mention, Belichick being so close to history makes this much more difficult to accept. He is only 14 victories away from surpassing Don Shula's all-time NFL coaching wins record with 333 wins to his name. It feels anticlimactic and, to be honest, a little depressing to end his pro career with a 4-13 season in 2023, especially when he's on the verge of something so historic.

Ultimately, Belichick is the NFL's greatest coach ever, and I believe he is taking on this role because he sensed that he would not be offered an NFL job for a second consecutive cycle after this season. I can see Belichick's reasoning if this was his only option to return to the sidelines because he loves football, but I find it sad how this all played out. Belichick is an NFL coach, and it's where he should have ended his legendary coaching career, chasing that seventh Super Bowl title as the lead boss.