Bill Belichick became one of the top NFL coaching candidates in 2024 after being let go by the New England Patriots. With six of the eight NFL head-coaching vacancies now filled, the future Hall of Famer will likely be out of work in 2024 and there’s a reason why.
Belichick, a six-time Super Bowl champion in New England, wanted to remain a head coach in 2024. He’s within striking distance of the NFL record for all-time wins by a head coach (Don Shula, 328), meaning he just needs to coach for a few more seasons to reach the record.
- Bill Belichick coaching record: 302-165 (.647) in the regular season, 31-13 in the playoffs
Related: Why Atlanta Falcons chose Raheem Morris over Bill Belichick
The defensive mastermind also proved he could still coach up that side of the ball in coach, orchestrating one of the best defenses in the NFL despite a myriad of injuries to key starters. However, the active NFL coaching carousel has been silent for the coaching legend.
Belichick interviewed twice with the Atlanta Falcons and was viewed as the preferred favorite of team owner Arthur Blank. However, other factors came into the evaluation process and Atlanta eventually hired Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris as head coach. Now, new details have emerged that help explain why Belichick might be getting passed over.
Why wasn’t Bill Belichick hired?
According to Tony Pauline fo SportsKeeda, Belichick was asking for far too much power and decision-making control over the roster in Atlanta. NFL teams were concerned by this when evaluating Belichick as a coaching candidate and it came to fruition during the Falcons coaching search.
Reports previously surfaced of turmoil within the Falcons’ front office, with several executives and decision-makers opposed to Blank hiring Belichick as head coach. The concern shared by those individuals was that Belichick would push them out to obtain greater control over the Falcons roster.
Being power-hungry wasn’t Belichick’s only problem. He reportedly wanted to add controversial assistant coaches to his staff, bringing back the same trusted advisors who were with him in New England. Considering the likes of Josh McDaniels, Joe Judge and Matt Patricia have failed at other stops, NFL teams are extremely hesitant to bring any of them on even if they are paired with Belichick.
Unfortunately for Belichick, even after being fired, he refused to change what led to his downfall with the Patriots. Set to turn 72 in April and poised to be sidelined involuntarily by all 32 NFL teams for the 2024 season, a year away from football might only further lower the chances of Belichick returning as a coach.
