Where will Bill Belichick coach next? Options dwindling for ex-Patriots HC as NFL head coach vacancies fill up
While Bill Belichick has expressed his desire to continue coaching, no NFL team has hired him. Take the New England Patriots out of the equation because he mentored the AFC East squad for the past 24 seasons.
Six teams, except New England, were looking for a new head coach after the regular season. Since some of the open positions are already taken, will Belichick get his wish of leading another team? Where will the six-time Super Bowl winner and three-time NFL Coach of the Year land?
State of NFL head coach vacancies so far
The Patriots hired their next head coach from within, promoting former inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo as Bill Belichick's successor. Mayo has been a part of Belichick's staff since 2019, four years after his last season as a player for New England. The Patriots look to maintain their defensive identity by having an All-Pro linebacker with a Super Bowl title take over.
Meanwhile, the Tennessee Titans hired Brian Callahan to replace Mike Vrabel. Callahan was the Cincinnati Bengals' offensive coordinator from 2019 until this season. Under his guidance, Joe Burrow became one of the league's best quarterbacks while the Bengals reached two AFC Championship Games and Super Bowl LVI. Callahan also worked for the Denver Broncos and the Oakland Raiders.
Speaking of the Raiders, Antonio Pierce took over as interim head coach after the franchise fired Josh McDaniels. He was officially named head coach after leading the Las Vegas Raiders to a 5-4 record and an 8-9 finish.
Conversely, the Carolina Panthers hired Dave Canales as their head coach. This season, he guided Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the Divisional Round. Before becoming Tampa Bay's offensive coordinator, Canales helped the Seattle Seahawks transition from Russell Wilson to Geno Smith.
Finally, the Los Angeles Chargers hired Jim Harbaugh as head coach after Brandon Staley and interim Giff Smith. Harbaugh led the Michigan Wolverines to their first National Championship since 1997, finishing with a perfect 15-0 record. His head coaching tenure with the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2014 led to three NFC Championship Games and a Super Bowl appearance.
Three NFL teams are still looking for their next head coach: Seahawks, Atlanta Falcons, and Washington Commanders. The Falcons fired Arthur Smith after a third consecutive 7-10 season, while the Panthers let go of Frank Reich after one season.
#Update: The Falcons have signed Raheem Morris as their new head coach.
The Commanders parted ways with Ron Rivera after four seasons, and the Seahawks ended Pete Carroll's coaching tenure after 14 seasons. However, Carroll remains with the organization in a front-office role.
What do the odds say about Bill Belichick's next team?
According to the latest betting odds provided by FOX Sports, Bill Belichick as the next Falcons head coach is the likeliest scenario at -425 as of January 23. Next on the list is any other team at +275, not a head coach in Week 1 at +750. Belichick to the Commanders is at +1600, while he to the Panthers is +5000.
They've listed Belichick to the Chargers at +1600 before they went with Harbaugh. However, he did have an interview with Los Angeles' AFC squad before hiring the coach who donned the Chargers uniform for two seasons.
Why Bill Belichick should coach the Seattle Seahawks in 2024?
While Bill Belichick had two interviews with the Falcons, the momentum of him becoming their next head coach has fizzled. Some front office personnel are pessimistic about hiring him, mainly when he has been accustomed to being the head coach and de facto general manager with the Patriots.
Likewise, the Falcons are interviewing other candidates, such as Vrabel, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, and Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.
However, another scenario could work for Belichick because it embodies his defensive identity. The Seahawks have players he can work with, like Boye Mafe, Jordyn Brooks, Bobby Wagner, Devon Witherspoon, and Tariq Woolen.
They badly need a coaching upgrade on that side of the ball after finishing the 2023 regular season 30th in total yards allowed (371.4) and 25th in points allowed (23.6). Bill Belichick will be obsessed with fine-tuning Seattle's defense if he gets the opportunity.
With Carroll not having a say on who the next Seahawks head coach will be, Belichick would be a good fit. A competitive offense and a vastly improved defense will help Seattle remain competitive against their NFC West division rivals.