It’s been a big summer for former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who has grown closer to the media and enjoyed dating his new love since parting ways with New England at the end of last season.
But after being notoriously standoffish with the press, he now has a more laid back image and media-friendly approach, with a number of media appearances lined up this autumn.
This could be part of a “PR makeover,” The Athletic’s Dianna Russini suggested during a Thursday appearance on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd.”
Belichick will join CBS’ “Inside the NFL” crew as an analyst, appear on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football Manningcast” as a regular and host his own YouTube show produced by the Underdog Fantasy Media Network.
NFL insiders suggested there are rumors circulating in some parts of the NFL that this is part of an image refresh for the future Hall of Fame coach after a bitter ending with the Patriots.
“Colin, have you ever talked to a coach who’s been fired? It doesn’t matter if they’re a Hall of Fame coach or a one-year coach. They’re physically and mentally exhausted,” Russini said. According to Awful Announcement“They go into their shells. I know a lot of coaches who get really sick about two weeks after they get fired. They just lie in bed and can’t move. It’s like the weight of everything hits them like a ton of bricks… For Bill to be out for a year, at his age, who knows how it’s going to affect him in terms of his own development.
“He seems to embrace it. Now the media-hating guy is leading the charge. But there is certainly a conversation around the league: ‘Look at Belichick playing the media darling role. He’s doing a PR makeover.’ It’s a makeover, so to speak, to connect with owners and show them, ‘Look, I can connect with the younger guys and be cool. I’m not just some old baseball coach. I can adapt.'”
This was a bit of a shock, as Belichick is still without a new coaching job after the 2023 season and was reportedly on the verge of taking the Falcons head coaching job before Atlanta hired Raheem Morris.
According to reports, Belichick intends to continue as head coach through next season in 2025, and Russini predicted the legendary coach would leave the team after this season.
“It’s interesting to watch because we haven’t seen much of Pete Carroll before,” Russini added.
“I know he still wants to coach, but I don’t know where he’ll ultimately end up. On social media, we see Mike Vrabel as a consultant for the Cleveland Browns, out on the field doing some old-fashioned, hands-on coaching. … He’s probably doing what he needs to do for his mental health, which is coach football. So, I think both coaches will have jobs next year, but it will be really interesting to see the difference in what you might call PR efforts for both coaches.”
