How Long Will Bill Belichick Coach Patriots? Nick Saban Offers Insight

Bill Belichick currently doesn’t look like someone nearing retirement, according to one of his closest friends in the football world.

During the Week 10 edition of ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown,” former New England Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi asked Nick Saban whether Belichick, 69, could coach until he’s 72 years old — if not older. Belichick previously has indicated an unwillingness to coach as long as NFL legend Marv Levy, who retired at 72.

However, many believe Belichick wants to coach until he surpasses Don Shula’s NFL coach record of 347 wins including the playoffs. Belichick currently has 316.

“I think the way Bill’s wired is, he’s always looking forward, he’s always preparing for the next moment,” Saban said. ” … You don’t ever look back, so you’re always looking at what’s going to happen in the future. And you never realize that you’re 69, or 70, or whatever we are. And I think when you lose that — and only Bill can tell you when he loses that — then it’s probably not the time to do it anymore.

“But all my interactions with him lately, whether he comes here and talks about players or we talk about football, or whatever it is, I don’t see any signs of any loss of intensity or energy.”

As Saban noted, only Belichick knows how long he plans to coach for. The day for Belichick’s retirement will come, but the end currently is not in sight for perhaps the greatest coach in NFL history.

Belichick will look for win No. 317 on Sunday when his 5-4 Patriots host the 5-4 Cleveland Browns.