There was a chance we would have seen Bill Belick on the sidelines again this season, this time alongside San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots agreed to part ways in February after 24 seasons and six Super Bowl appearances. However, Belichick’s name was still being mentioned in negotiations for various coaching openings throughout the league. He was even offered a second interview with the Atlanta Falcons before they hired Raheem Morris, the Los Angeles Rams’ defensive coordinator, as their 19th head coach.
As the NFL’s open slots filled up, Belichick found himself without a coaching job for the first time since 1975, and without a head coaching post since 1999. However, additional revelations emerged earlier this week, revealing his name was tied to Shanahan and the 49ers:
Shanahan sacked the 49ers’ former defensive coordinator, Steve Wilks, just three days after the team’s second Super Bowl loss in four years. Wilks stayed with the franchise for just one year after serving as interim head coach of the Carolina Panthers in 2022.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Shanahan originally called Belichick to offer him the defensive coordinator role, which Belichick has not held since 1985 with the New York Giants under head coach Bill Parcells. Ultimately, the call appeared to go nowhere, as Shanahan promoted passing game specialist Nick Sorensen to the team’s new defensive coordinator.
Kyle's 16-day coordinator search, summarized: Called Belichick. Tried to get Spags (as per @DMRussini). Tried to pry Ulbrich from Jets. Interviewed 2 outside minority candidates. Promoted Sorensen and brought in Staley to freshen up the back end. Onward.
— Michael Silver (@MikeSilver) March 2, 2024
According to The Athletic, Shanahan even approached Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo before to hiring Sorensen. However, that chat fizzled as Kansas City made sure to offer Spagnuolo a new contract after his previous one expired following the team’s most recent Super Bowl victory over the Niners.
As of now, Sorensen is the Niners’ new defensive coordinator, while Belichick is currently unemployed. What the highly renowned 71-year-old will do in his spare time is unknown, but his son Steve, who was recently hired as the University of Washington’s DC, hinted that his father might dabble in media.
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