WATCH: Tom Brady gives Bill Belichick a welcome to social media in latest retirement move
Six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach Bill Belichick was let go by the New England Patriots at the end of the 2023 season after a stellar 24-year stint with the franchise. The 72-year-old was keen on continuing his coaching career but could not find a suitor in the offseason. He'll instead spend the season as an analyst on ESPN's Pat McAfee Show and ManningCast.
However, these two gigs seemingly weren't enough to keep Belichick occupied, so he decided to end his self-imposed social media embargo and join Instagram.
Tom Brady wasn't thrilled about his former head coach's latest venture. He posted a hilarious clip on Instagram to welcome him. In it, he poked fun at the veteran head coach's stoic attitude before giving him a welcome.
"Alright, guys. Party's over. Bill's here. It was a good run, but we got to shut it down. Welcome, coach," Brady said
Brady isn't the only one with jokes. Belichick announced his arrival on Instagram with a statement that read:
"During my career in the NFL, I had built-in opportunities to express myself at a moment's notice. The circumstances are different now. So, here I am.. I am (surpisingly) thrilled to announce my decision to utilize social media platforms with the intention of connecting directly with fans and the public. This debut was inconcievable a few months ago, but exciting now!! Follow me, @BillBelichick on InstaFace."
The InstaFace line was a callback to him allegedly goofing up the names of social media platforms intentionally.
Why does Bill Belichick call Instagram "InstaFace"?
In 2017, then-Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown found himself in hot water after starting a live stream on Facebook while head coach Mike Tomlin was giving his players a fiery speech in the locker room, where he referred to the Patriots as "a**holes."
When asked about his team's explicit characterization, Belichick, in his patented apathetic tone, responded,
“As you know, I’m not on SnapFace and all that, so I don’t really get those. I’m really just worried about getting our team ready to go... I’m not really too worried about what they put on InstantChat, or whatever it is.”
It's unclear whether the head coach intentionally got the names mixed up or whether it was a tactic to portray how little he cared about social media. Regardless, it was a hilarious response, and seven years on, he's committed to the bit.