Despite building his own media empire that even includes opening an Instagram account, Bill Belichick remains a coach at heart.
Those who know Belichick best say that despite his growing media resume, the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach would still like to coach again in 2025 — but only in the right situations and with good jobs.
Belichick is expected to be selective if and when he returns to the bench, sources said.
Belichick had multiple opportunities to join various teams this past offseason as a defensive coordinator or some sort of decorated assistant position. Not only did the San Francisco 49ers consider Belichick for their vacant defensive coordinator job, as head coach Kyle Shanahan said he would this summer, but so did the Los Angeles Rams, according to league sources.
The Rams had a defensive coordinator vacancy after Raheem Morris left to become the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, and one of the names on Los Angeles' wish list was Belichick, who preferred to take his career elsewhere this season.
Now, for the first time in nearly a quarter-century, Belichick will not be on the Patriots' sidelines Sunday when New England opens its season in Cincinnati against the Bengals. The last time the Patriots were not coached by Belichick, their current head coach, Jerod Mayo, was 13.
Belichick will be preparing for Monday night's “ManningCast” show, with appearances scheduled there to accompany other media projects. Belichick also serves as a strategic adviser for the 33rd Team, a media and technology company involved in football analytics, and appears once a week on “The Pat McAfee Show.” He will host a weekly Friday show with Peyton Manning analyzing upcoming “Monday Night Football” matchups and serves as an analyst on “Inside the NFL.” He will also have a football show on YouTube TV.
According to some sources, Belichick is not expected to join Threads, as he did last week with Instagram. However, the man who rarely seemed to enjoy interacting with the media has now become one of the network's most important figures.
But all of this could be short-lived. Belichick would still like to return as head coach in 2025 if the right opportunity presents itself. Belichick will be able to keep a close eye on the league through his media projects, keeping track of his players and preparing to return to coaching.
Belichick and the Patriots parted ways after the 2023 season, ending his 24-year tenure with the franchise he led to six Super Bowl titles. His 296 wins with the Patriots (including playoffs) are the second-most with one franchise in NFL history, behind only George Halas (324 with the Chicago Bears). His 333 wins as a coach (including playoffs) are second-most all-time behind Don Shula (347).
Belichick, 72, was nominated for a Sports Emmy as outstanding studio analyst for his work on the 2019 NFL Films series “NFL 100 All-Time Team,” which aired on NFL Network.
