Answering a question no one was asking, Bill Belichick sent out a lengthy statement Friday night clarifying that he will not pursue any NFL openings this winter.
The statement directly addresses the New York Giants vacancy; Belichick coached for Big Blue from 1979-90, winning two Super Bowls as Bill Parcells's defensive coordinator.
The statement:
“I have great respect and genuinely care for the New York Giants organization and both the Mara and Tisch families. The New York Giants played an important role in my life and in my coaching journey. It was a privilege for me to work for the Mara family and be a member of Coach Parcells’ staff for over a decade. However, despite circulating rumors, I have not and will not pursue any NFL head coaching vacancies.
Since arriving in Chapel Hill, my commitment to the UNC Football program has not waivered. We have tremendous support from the university, our alumni, and the entire Carolina community. My focus remains solely on continuing to improve this team, develop our players, and build a program that makes Tar Heel fans proud.
We're on to Wake Forest.”
Friday's statement came after Belichick was asked directly about opening in New York at his weekly press conference. “I’ve been asked about it from time to time,” he said. “Look, I’ve been down this road before. I’m focused on Wake Forest, that’s it. That’s my commitment to this team. I’m here to do the best for this team.”
Not addressed in the statement is that the NFL has clearly moved on from Belichick. Nearly half the league has changed coaches since Belichick's last season in New England, and 14 teams hired someone other than him.
Belichick is the league's all-time Super Bowl ring leader with six, but he's also 73 years old, and his last four seasons in New England produced three losing records -- including a 4-13 campaign in 2023.
Since then, Belichick has attached himself to Jordon Hudson and made Michael Lombardi the highest-paid general manager in college football, which has not gone well. After early rumors that North Carolina would pull the plug early, North Carolina has played better of late -- scoring wins over Syracuse and Stanford in their last two contests. A win over Wake Forest would level the Tar Heels at 5-5 on the season.
Still, lots of work remains to turn the Tar Heels into the NFL's 33rd team. And, as we all anticipated, Belichick will be there to see it through.
In case anyone is wondering, Bill posted this statement on Insta. Son. That happened.