Bill Belichick reached out to Jets about vacancy before taking UNC job – reports Bill Belichick, who famously quit on the Jets in 2000, inquired about New York’s coaching vacancy before taking the same position at North Carolina this week, multiple media outlets reported on Saturday.
The 72-year-old Belichick, who won six Super Bowls as coach of the New England Patriots – one of the Jets’ AFC East rivals – personally reached out to the Jets about the opening but there were no formal discussions, per the reports.
In the wake of former Jets coach Robert Saleh’s firing on 7 October, Belichick had been critical of team owner Woody Johnson, but that’s nothing new between the archrivals.
Following a stint on head coach Bill Parcells’ Jets staff from 1997-99, Belichick was to succeed Parcells in 2000 but quit on the day he was to take over.
The rest is history, as the Jets watched their divisional rivals hoist six Lombardi Trophies under Belichick’s guidance.
