THE NFL’S COACHING CAROUSEL: WHY AREN’T BELICHICK AND VRABEL HIRED YET?
The NFL coaching carousel has finally come to a stop, but two highly sought-after candidates, Bill Belichick and Mike Vrabel, are still waiting for their chance. When the New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans announced that they were parting ways with their coaches, it seemed inevitable that Belichick and Vrabel would be snatched up in no time. However, they remain on the sidelines, waiting for an opportunity.
Today, the Washington Commanders, the last team without a head coach, made their move by hiring Dallas DC Dan Quinn. This begs the question: why haven’t the second-winningest coach in NFL history and his successful protege been hired? Both Belichick and Vrabel have proven their ability to win, with Belichick’s impressive track record and Vrabel’s playoff appearances with the Titans.
It’s understandable that front offices around the league might be hesitant to consider candidates like Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia, given their previous failures. Brian Flores is also unlikely to be hired while he is still involved in a lawsuit against the league. However, the list of potential candidates seems to be growing shorter. Fan bases would be in an uproar if names like Romeo Crennel, Bill O’Brien, Joe Judge, Eric Mangini, or Jim Schwartz were announced as their team’s new head coach. Even Belichick’s sons, Steve and Brian, who were offered a position on Jerod Mayo’s staff, might be wise to accept it, considering their father’s lack of employment opportunities.
One factor that may be deterring teams from hiring Belichick is his reputation as a tyrant. General managers may be reluctant to negotiate with someone who has a completely different approach to drafting players. The micromanaging tendencies associated with Belichick could also explain why so many of his coaching disciples have struggled in their own head coaching roles.
Is it possible that Belichick’s coaching style is difficult to replicate? There are numerous theories, but one report suggests that Belichick would rather sit out a year than accept the wrong job. However, it remains unclear whether he has been offered a position or if his demands for power were too high. Even someone as influential as Sean Payton did not receive general manager powers when he joined the Denver Broncos.
The only person who consistently met Belichick’s standards was Tom Brady. When questions arose about who was truly responsible for the Patriots’ success, tensions between Brady and Belichick reached a breaking point, leading Brady to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he won a Super Bowl. Meanwhile, Belichick struggled to find a suitable replacement for Brady, attempting to revive Cam Newton’s career and mold Mac Jones into a different type of quarterback.
Belichick has always demanded unwavering loyalty from his followers, and it seems that many of his former assistants-turned-head coaches followed suit. McDaniels, Mangini, and Flores all experienced conflicts with management, the media, or players. Flores even attempted to trade Tua Tagovailoa for Deshaun Watson for an extended period. McDaniels is still despised by Denver Broncos fans, and Mangini’s departure from the Jets was far from amicable. According to The Athletic, poor communication and lingering grievances led to Vrabel’s exit in Nashville.
One could speculate that society’s shift towards a less abrasive management style in recent years has influenced the hiring decisions in the NFL. Perhaps employees now expect to be treated with respect, regardless of their boss’s intelligence or the company’s profitability. Alternatively, it’s possible that the rest of the league harbors bitterness towards Belichick for dominating the NFL for decades and has conspired to keep him from finding a new job.
While I hesitate to use the term “collusion” or draw comparisons to current political events, the idea of Belichick creating an account on X to expose an alleged conspiracy against him does cross my mind. Given his political leanings, it’s not entirely implausible. However, what remains clear is that it’s unusual for no organization to have shown enough desperation or wisdom to hire either Belichick or Vrabel. It seems that the Hoodie is not well-liked by many people in the league.
