Tom Brady doesn’t understand why Bill Belichick hasn’t found a head coaching job: What did he say?
Having won everything there was to win with the now unemployed coach, perhaps Tom Brady is the best qualified to give an opinion on his situation.
It’s crazy to believe that this is the first time in five decades that Bill Belichick finds himself without a team in the NFL - at least for the moment. As the scenario continues to both surprise and perplex observers, one of Belichick’s former charges and the man many consider the greatest player in football’s history, has now expressed his thoughts on the matter.
What’s happening with Bill Belichick?
As you likely know by now, the New England Patriots and Bill Belichick decided to part ways on the completion of this past season after 24 seasons together. For the first time since 1975, Bill Belichick is not a coach in the NFL, at least as things stand right now. The New England Patriots and Belichick called it quits after the regular season, following more than two decades together. Of course, it has to be said that during these past few years, neither Belichick nor the Patriots gave a good account of themselves - the team managed to make the playoffs just once since Tom Brady’s departure.
In his most recent and final campaign, the Patriots stumbled to a 4-13 record which was the worst in the AFC. Yet, even with franchise owner Robert Kraft reportedly raging in private about some of his coach’s decisions and whispering that maybe Belichick is past his best, no one expected him to be out of work for very long.
Surprisingly, that has not been the case so far. The closest we got were reports of the Atlanta Falcons favoring him for the post, but in the end it was Raheem Morris who got the job. To be clear, every other head coaching job in the league is currently occupied. This of course brings us back the man that helped Belichick win six Super Bowls, legendary quarterback Tom Brady.
What has Tom Brady said about Bill Belichick’s situation?
In the 20 years that he spent playing for Belichick, Tom Brady was the co-architect of a dynasty that as mentioned above won six championships. To that end, it was Brady who had a front-row seat where Belichick was concerned and that’s something he leaned on when discussing his former coach during an episode of his “Let’s Go!” podcast.
“I don’t know the criteria for hiring coaches. I’ve never been a part of it,” Brady said. “I mean, I’m surprised that the greatest coach ever doesn’t have a job, absolutely. But I’m surprised [by] a lot of things in the NFL.” Interestingly, Brady disclosed that he too experienced a similar scenario when he left the Patriots, with some teams in the league rejecting the chance to acquire him. “When I was a free agent, there [were] a lot of teams that didn’t want me,” 46-year-old said. Of course, Brady did go on to get a new gig and it ended with him lifting the Vince Lombardi trophy one more time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to bring his Super Bowl tally to seven.
So, why can’t Bill Belichick get a job?
That’s a good question. To begin with we’re talking about a coach whose CV can’t be disputed. At third on the list of all time wins - including the playoffs - with 302 Belichick’s resume is certainly impressive, landing second all-time in wins (including the playoff) with 302, Belichick is a three-time AP Coach of the Year and has two Super Bowl victories as an assistant coach. He also holds records for most Super Bowl wins (8), most Super Bowl wins as a head coach (6), most Super Bowl appearances (12), most playoff wins as a head coach (31), and most divisional titles as a head coach (17).
So, again, why doesn’t he have a job? Some have pointed to the fact that teams are trending toward younger candidates for coaching jobs. Belichick turned 72 this week - so he’s no spring chicken. That also suggests that he does not have many years left at this level and franchises are looking to the medium-to-long term. On the other hand, you could also argue that class is permanent.
Yet, perhaps the true concern for most teams is the level of control that the veteran coach would likely want. In New England, Belichick was both general manager and head coach, a fact that actually led to Brady being let go, something that both the player’s father and Patriots owner Robert Kraft have since spoken about.
With that in mind, it’s understandable why some teams might have reservations. On the other hand, it’s clear that Brady still views his former coach in very high esteem. Regardless, what we do know for the moment is that if even there are others who think the same, they haven’t been willing show it by offering him employment as a coach. Stay tuned...