Morning Sports Update
Belichick is set leave New England, but still wants to coach.
Where Bill Belichick could go next after the Patriots: With the Thursday morning news from ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Mike Reiss that the Patriots and Bill Belichick are set to part ways, the questions now turn to what comes next for each side.
The Patriots will begin the team’s first head coaching search in a quarter century.
Belichick, meanwhile, is expected to “continue coaching,” per Schefter.
“Bill Belichick will be a coaching free agent,” Schefter explained during a Thursday morning appearance on SportsCenter. “There are currently seven other teams aside from New England with coaching vacancies, and I would think that any team with a vacancy would have some level of interest in wanting to talk to the greatest coach of all time.”
One team in particular that was mentioned by Schefter and fellow NFL insiders Ian Rapoport of NFL Network and Dianna Russini of The Athletic was the Atlanta Falcons.
“The team that would make some sense I think in the eyes of many across the league would be the Atlanta Falcons,” said Schefter. “If we remember the past, Arthur Blank once pursued — and didn’t get — Bill Parcells. Bill Belichick learned at the feet of Bill Parcells. The Falcons could use a head coach. There’s nobody more accomplished than Bill Belichick, and that would certainly seem to make some sense if that’s an avenue that the Falcons decide to pursue.”
Atlanta fired 2023 head coach Arthur Smith earlier this week following a disappointing 7-10 season.
Now, the Falcons could be in line to make a significant splash.
“The Falcons have been interested in landing Bill Belichick for weeks,” reported Russini. She also added that, “Belichick isn’t the only candidate they are targeting.”
Trivia: Other than Tom Brady, what Patriots player drafted by Belichick totaled the most Pro Bowl selections?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: UCLA
Scores and schedules:
The Celtics defeated the Timberwolves 127-120 in overtime on Wednesday in a matchup of two of the best records in the NBA. Joe Mazzulla’s team faces a quick turnaround today, and will be on the road against the Bucks tonight at 7:30 p.m.
Also tonight, the Bruins will be in Las Vegas to play the Golden Knights at 10 p.m.
And on Saturday, Boston’s PWHL team will travel to play Montreal at Verdun Auditorium at 3:30 p.m.
More from Boston.com:
Looking back: Bill Belichick’s first press conference after he was hired in 2000 following a contentious negotiating period with the Jets.
On this day: In 2014, the Patriots dismantled the Colts 43-22 in an AFC Divisional Round playoff game. LeGarrette Blount rumbled for 166 yards and four touchdowns. Fellow running back Stevan Ridley added two scores on the ground of his own, and the Patriots’ defense intercepted Andrew Luck four times to cap a dominant performance.
Daily highlight: Given the Belichick news, here’s one of the strangest but most distinctive highlights from his time in New England. During a tightly contested regular season matchup with the Broncos in Denver in 2003, Belichick elected to take an intentional safety late in the game to change the team’s field position.
New England’s defense made the stop on the Broncos’ ensuing drive, with the unorthodox strategy paying off. Tom Brady got the ball back, and promptly led the Patriots on a game-winning drive. It was, in essence, a perfect distillation of the Brady-Belichick partnership. Clever coaching and clutch quarterback play resulted in a 30-26 win in improbable circumstances.
Trivia answer: Matthew Slater
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