For the first time since 1974, Bill Belichick is not an NFL coach. The 2024 season marks the end of a storied era, as the New England Patriots moved on from the head coach that lead them to six championships. Only the Atlanta Falcons offered him a job following that departure, and he was left jobless for the first time in five decades.
The 71-year-old is off to new ventures, including visiting colleges to impart some of his football insight with the next generation of players, while schooling some coaches as well. Belichick recently visited Nebraska, a program former NFL head coach Matt Rhule currently runs.
Rhule, who was born the same year Belichick got his first NFL coaching job, was impressed by the future Hall of Famer, even admitting that the difference in knowledge can be embarrassing for the other coaches.
"He is so smart, has seen so much that he can make the complex so simple that it humbles you and embarrasses you. I was embarrassed yesterday listening to him, how smart he is, how simple it was," Rhule said (via CBS News).
Matt Rhule recapped his experience with Bill Belichick, the guest speaker at yesterday's #Huskers Coaches Clinic.
— Matt Sottile (@MSottileTV) April 6, 2024
BB then spent another 4.5 hours 'embarrassing' Rhule with his football knowledge:
"Three and a half hours in, I was like, 'Coach, would you like a water?'" 😂 @KETV pic.twitter.com/HMIYJQ4FmG
Belichick was with the team, from meeting with the coaching staff to speaking at the clinic, for four and a half hours, Rhule said.
"Three and a half hours in, I was like, 'Coach, would you like ... a water? Cup of coffee? Would you like to use the restroom?' Because I desperately had to use the restroom, and he's like, 'I'm fine, Matt.' And I was like, 'Yes, sir.' And just sitting there and just talking, right, and just his recall from 15 years ago. And the only reason why we don't get through more information is because he's having to slow down to make sure you understand what he's saying."
Rhule noted how Belichick's vast resume, including being a defensive coordinator, special teams coordinator, head coach and pseudo-general manager, to name a few, gives him a football IQ that makes him an excellent educator of the game.
"He's talking about football in a way that … illuminates things and makes things so simple that you're like, 'Oh my goodness,'" the former Carolina Panthers head coach said.
With no NFL team to scout for or a draft to prepare for, Belichick has also filled his time visiting the University of Washington, where his son Steve is the new defensive coordinator. Steve was formerly on the Patriots coaching staff, most recently with the outside linebackers.
Belichick's time in New England ended after a rough season during which the Patriots had the worst record in the AFC at 4-13. It was a year filled with offensive struggles, lack of communication, quarterback drama and uncertainties -- all of which eventually led to his departure. Whether "The Hoodie" will return to coaching after this season is something yet to be seen.
