Six-time Super Bowl champion head coach Bill Belichick is going to be a wanted man in NFL head coach circles after his departure from the New England Patriots.
Belichick, 71, is nearing Don Shula’s record for the most wins for a head coach in NFL history. His 24-year run in New England equated to unprecedented success around the football world.
Despite his relatively advanced age, Belichick has no intention of giving up his career. That’s now magnified after ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Monday night that Belichick has completed his head coach interview with the Atlanta Falcons.
It’s not really a surprise that Belichick’s first interview came with the Falcons. He has been linked to them since mutually agreeing to part ways with the Patriots last week.
Related: How Bill Belichick could transform the Atlanta Falcons and reignite his legacy?
Atlanta fired Arthur Smith after three less-than-stellar seasons as the team’s head coach. While some might think that it makes sense to go with a young head coach to ignite a complete rebuild, 81-year-old owner Arthur Blank doesn’t see it the same way.
The Falcons do have pieces in place on offense in that of running back Bijan Robinson, tight end Kyle Pitts and wide receiver Drake London. Getting a reliable quarterback after the failed Desmond Ridder experiment and finding improvements on defense are both key.
As for Belichick, his previously amazing tenure in New England concluded with the future Hall of Fame head coach posting a 29-38 record in the four seasons following Tom Brady’s departure. He obviously wants to prove he wasn’t a product of Brady with the Patriots. Atlanta would provide that opportunity.