The New England Patriots’ latest turnaround probably has secured Bill Belichick in his position for years to come.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss assessed the New England Patriots head coach’s job security as air-tight Tuesday. By masterminding the Patriots’ seeming return to Super Bowl contention, Belichick has proven himself as the best person to lead New England into what looks like a bright future.
“Prior to the Week 15 loss at Indianapolis, Belichick (now in his 22nd season) was a leading candidate for NFL Coach of the Year honors for having the Patriots among the AFC playoff contenders with rookie quarterback Mac Jones leading the way,” Reiss wrote. “Few saw that coming. A major offseason overhaul with a huge free-agent spending spree has sparked the turnaround, and as a result, Belichick’s job is as secure as it has ever been.”
Belichick’s success over two-plus decades as Patriots head coach gave him enough breathing space to withstand a losing season in 2020 without facing any apparent threat to his job. New England’s 2021 rebound only makes the idea of the team pushing out Belichick more laughable.
The sole question surrounding the end of Belichick’s Patriots tenure is “how long does he want to do the job?” Belichick, 69, previously indicated he didn’t want to coach as long as NFL legend Marv Levy, who retired at 72. However, some believe Belichick targets Don Shula’s NFL record of 347 wins as a head coach. Belichick currently has 320 wins, so he’d need at least a few more seasons to surpass Shula.
Belichick’s longtime friend, Alabama head coach Nick Saban, said last month he hasn’t noticed a change in energy or intensity in the Patriots coach.
We only can conclude the chances of Belichick sticking around look pretty good.
