In the coaching profession, there is a saying that if you coach long enough, chances are pretty good that at some point you're going to get fired.
Even the greatest coach of all time, Bill Belichick has been fired. Back in February of 1996 Belichick had been let go after five seasons leading the Cleveland Browns as the team got ready to relocate to Baltimore.
Out of coaching, Belichick was trying to enjoy some down time at a ski resort in Colorado, and was all bundled up to the point where he was almost unrecognizable when he kept bumping into a man with a white coat with a giant blue star on the back (and if we remember anything about the 90's it was probably a really puffer Starter jacket) who was in line renting skis for his grandkids.
That man Belichick kept running into was Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, fresh off a few Super Bowl titles back in the Cowboys prime during the mid-90's.
According to CNBC, a currently unemployed Belichick looked at Jones and shot his shot...because that's what shooters do, they shoot.
“I can coach. If you ever get an opportunity, don’t forget about me," Belichick told Jones.
The Cowboys won their last Super Bowl title just before that chance encounter and haven't won a title since. It's only natural to wonder what could have been if that serendipitous meeting had led to Belichick actually landing in Dallas as head coach. Jones made head coaching changes in 1997, moving on from Barry Switzer to Chan Gailey (1998-99), Dave Campo (2000-02), Bill Parcells (2003-06), to Wade Phillips (2007-10), and finally to Jason Garrett from 2010-present.
Meanwhile Belichick landed the Patriots job in 2000, and well, the rest is history.
It's a chance encounter that Jones has reflected back on a number of times over the years.
“I’ve thought about that many times. You never know where you can find a great coach. You can find them in a ski checkout line sometimes,” Jones shared.