Bill Belichick contacted the New York Jets about the head coaching vacancy before agreeing to join the University of North Carolina, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
Posted at 5:32 p.m.
Dennis Waszak fils
Associated Press
Belichick, 72, was introduced to the media on Thursday as the new head coach of the University of North Carolina. But recently, the former head coach of the New England Patriots contacted the Jets, who fired Robert Saleh on October 8 before replacing him, on an interim basis, with defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.
There have been no formal meetings or discussions between Belichick and the Jets according to the source, who spoke to The Associated Press on Saturday on condition of anonymity because neither side has publicly commented on the situation.
The Athletic was the first media outlet to report the contact between the two parties, and the New York Post wrote that Belichick communicated personally with the Jets – a surprising development considering the strained relationship between the head coach and the New York franchise.
Belichick recently criticized owner Woody Johnson and the Jets, who are 3-10 and will miss the playoffs for a 14th-place finish, in recent television appearances.e consecutive season – the longest active drought of its kind in the NFL.
The team has also been looking for a general manager since Johnson fired Joe Douglas on November 19.
Belichick was an assistant to Bill Parcells with the Jets from 1997 to 1999, and was tipped to become the Jets’ head coach when Parcells retired. But Belichick decided to resign after just one day to take the same position in New England.
A trade eventually happened and Belichick ended up with the Patriots, with whom he won six Super Bowls with quarterback Tom Brady.
In 2007, then-Jets coach Eric Mangini, a former Belichick assistant, helped spark the Spygate scandal, after which Belichick and the Patriots were fined by the NFL for illegally recorded Jets coaches’ signals during a game.
Belichick agreed to leave the Patriots following last season, ending one of the most successful head coaching tenures in NFL history.
His 333 regular season and playoff victories are surpassed only by Don Shula’s 347 triumphs. Belichick ranks first in NFL history with 31 playoff games won.
Belichick interviewed last offseason for the Atlanta Falcons head coaching job, but the job eluded him and he stayed away from the NFL this season.
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