North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick brushed off speculation about him taking over as the New York Giants head coach after Brian Daboll’s firing on Monday.
Belichick, whose Tar Heels are 4-5 heading into a matchup against Wake Forest, said he’s focused on “getting ready” for the Demon Deacons. He was also asked if players and recruits have inquired about the speculation regarding the Giants’ job.
“I’ve been asked about it from time to time,” Belichick told reporters. “Look I’ve been down this road before. I’m focused on Wake Forest, that’s it. That’s my commitment to this team. This week it’s Wake Forest, next week it’s that opponent and so forth. I’m here to do the best for this team.”
Belichick spent his entire career in the NFL before venturing into college football for the first time ahead of the 2025 season. Naturally, Belichick’s status as one of the greatest NFL coaches of all time means that he’s bound to find his name in rumors whenever a head coaching gig opens up.
Belichick was also a member of the Giants coaching staff for more than a decade in the late 1970s and 1980s, so he does have a connection to the franchise.
There was speculation that Belichick and North Carolina were heading towards a split after a 2-5 start. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported in October that there will be a “crossroads” after the season that could involve “significant changes” to the roster, coaching staff or front office.
Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported in October that Belichick has “no plans” of leaving Chapel Hill and wants to build something “meaningful” at North Carolina.
While things started out rough for Belichick and the Tar Heels, back-to-back wins over Syracuse and Stanford have eased the speculation about his potential departure.
If Belichick can win a couple more games and get North Carolina bowl eligible, it should be more than enough to give him some job security heading into the offseason.
No matter what happens at North Carolina this year or in the coming seasons, Belichick’s name will likely always come up in NFL speculation until he decides to retire.
