- Belichick was the odd man out on the NFL offseason coaching carousel in 2024
- Rumors that he wants total control over the staff are untrue, Johnson says
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was left out in the cold on the NFL coaching carousel this year. FOX NFL analyst Jimmy Johnson says there’s a reason for that.
Johnson, himself a former coach with the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins, said he spent time with Belichick in South Florida last week.
Contrary to previous reports that stated Belichick demanded total control over team decisions, Johnson told WQAM Radio in Miami that the six-time Super Bowl winner does not need the power that some teams are afraid to give him.
“Some of these owners are a little scared of him and the general managers and the human resources people in the organization are really scared of him,” Johnson said.
“They think if he comes in, they’ll lose their jobs. Many people are working against him.
FOX NFL’s Jimmy Johnson believes there are “people working against” ex-patriot Bill Belichick
Rumor has it that Belichick sought complete control of the personnel wherever he went, such as Atlanta
Johnson added: “I was shocked he wasn’t given more opportunities. He’ll get a chance next year.’
Belichick interviewed several teams, including the Falcons twice. Atlanta ultimately went with Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris.
Reports indicated that Falcons CEO Rich McKay and GM Terry Fontenot advised owner Arthur Blank to choose a candidate other than Belichick because they were concerned they would lose their jobs or see a reduction in their roles.
But Johnson assured that none of these concerns would ever come to light.
“Bill is honest about it,” Johnson said. “He said, ‘Hey, I don’t have to be in charge of everything.’ That’s what happened in New England.
“He got into that deal, and it’s not necessarily that he pushed for it. That’s what happened because he was there so long.”
That echoes a similar sentiment from Blank, who denied that the coach was demanding more from the team.
“I want to make it 1,000 percent clear — I want to go to 2,000 percent or 100,000, whatever percentage you want to use — Bill Belichick has never asked for full control of the staff or the building or anything like that in our discussions. Blank told reporters.
But Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank said Belichick didn’t ask for these things
“He was very inclusive, very collaborative, he met Terry Fontenot, he vetted our people using his own references. He sent me a private text, which I eventually shared with Terry, saying he would love to work with him.
“All these things produced by the media were completely untrue. I don’t say this to patronize Bill, but to be honest with him. He never made that a requirement. He has his history, he has a way of doing things, etc., that was very, very successful.
‘You can debate for the past four years whether that is true. Maybe the picture is different, but many stories and many things have been learned.
‘I think it is a very good series of interviews with him. Our people were impressed by him. I was impressed with him, as well as a number of candidates.
“And we just felt – all things considered, for different reasons – that Raheem Morris was clearly the best choice for us.”
With the exception of New England, seven teams had coaching vacancies this offseason and all have now been filled.