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What ‘bothered’ Bill Belichick about Falcons’ interview process

Originally posted on NFL on ClutchPoints | By Malik Brown | Last updated Dec 12, 2024 10:45 AM ET

Bill Belichick is now the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels, and it may have been a big surprise to many, knowing that he had just interviewed for an NFL job last offseason. It felt like the plan was to wait until this offseason to see what team would need coaches, but Belichick didn’t waste his time and decided to go the college route.

During his interview process with NFL teams last offseason, there were some things that bothered him, more specifically from the Atlanta Falcons, according to ESPN’s Seth Wickersham.

“Belichick insisted to the Falcons and made clear to other teams with openings last year that he wasn’t seeking the total control of football operations he enjoyed for most of his head coaching career, both in Cleveland and in New England,” Wickersham wrote. “He was willing to work with existing staff, whether it was Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot or Commanders general manager Adam Peters or Jerry Jones or Howie Roseman, if the Cowboys or Eagles, respectively, had decided to change coaches.”

One of the knocks on Belichick was that he wanted full control of the team’s operations, which was a turn-off for many teams. What Belichick didn’t like was that Fontenot felt like he knew it all about the drafting system. The Falcons ultimately ended up going with Raheem Morris as their head coach, and Belichick was left without an NFL coaching job.

Bill Belichick agrees to become North Carolina’s next HC

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick signs autographs during his pro-am appearance with golfing great Greg Norman, golf star Lexi Thompson, former NFL quarterback and TV commentator Joe Theismann and musician Kenny G at the Honda Classic in 2012. © Allen Eyestone / USA TODAY NETWORK

After making his name as an NFL coaching legend, Bill Belichick has decided to go the college route and be the next head coach at North Carolina. After taking the job, Belichick wrote a statement to the fans of North Carolina about his excitement to join the staff, via ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

“I am excited for the opportunity at UNC-Chapel Hill,” the statement read, per Schefter. “I grew up around college football with my dad and treasured those times. I have always wanted to coach in college and now I look forward to building the football program in Chapel Hill.”

The Tar Heels did not have a great season and fired head coach Mack Brown. Now, the plan is to continue to develop a program that has the potential to be good over the following years under Belichick. It will be interesting to see how Belichick’s coaching style will translate to the college level, and if it will be as successful as it was many years in the NFL.

This article first appeared on NFL on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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