Nick Saban and Bill Belichick left coaching after the 2023 season, but neither of the GOATs are leaving football.
Saban will be a regular contributor in ESPN's college football coverage this fall, and now Belichick has a regular TV gig, too. The CW announced the 8-time Super Bowl champion will join "Inside the NFL" for the upcoming season.
"I'm thrilled to join my new team at NFL Films and to work on such a historic television franchise," Belichick said in a statement.
"Inside the NFL" is an institution not only within sports television, but for all of television. The show launched on HBO in 1977 and moved to Showtime in 2008; it held the title as the longest-running show on cable television until a move to Paramount+ in 2023. "Inside" returned to cable in 2023 with its move to The CW.
Belichick will work alongside Ryan Clark, Chad Johnson and Chris Long, and if they'll smart, the trio of panelists will step aside and let Belichick cook.
Famously dour when speaking behind a press conference podium, Belichick turns into a chatterbox when given the opportunity to talk about what he wants to talk about.
Performing analysis on television boils down to two factors: credibility and delivery. As a respected football historian on top of being the most accomplished head coach in NFL history, Belichick has more credibility than any analyst on any topic working in television today, and his showing on Pat McAfee's NFL draft special this past April showed he's mastered delivery as well.
Belichick was also great in the NFL Network's "NFL 100" series -- which I can't embed here, thanks to the NFL -- and should have instant chemistry with his three TV teammates. Belichick coached Long for a season (that ended with the 28-3 Super Bowl LI comeback vs. the Atlanta Falcons) and coached against him for 10 (including a Super Bowl LII loss to Philadelphia the following season). Clark played 13 NFL seasons, including eight in Pittsburgh, and Johnson concluded his 11-year NFL career with New England in 2011.
The show airs Friday nights at 9 p.m. ET, beginning Aug. 30.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.