Bill Belichick has returned to football, but not at the professional level.
Belichick has joined the North Carolina Tar Heels as their new head football coach, which means he’ll be two years removed from coaching in the NFL when the Pro Football Hall of Fame names a coach finalist in 2025.
Earlier this year, the Hall of Fame changed its eligibility rules and former NFL coaches now have to be just one year removed from coaching at the pro level to be eligible for Canton. That means Belichick will be eligible for the Hall of Fame when the committee elects the 2026 class next year, as the Denver Gazette‘s Chris Tomasson confirmed earlier this week.
That’s bad news for former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan, who was overlooked by voters again this year in favor of Mike Holmgren (who Shanahan beat in Super Bowl XXXII). Now Shanahan will have to compete against Belichick next year, and with Andy Reid set to turn 67 years old next offseason, there might be more competition in the coach category soon.
Eventually, Shanahan will reach the Hall of Fame. It’s unfortunate that he’s been overlooked this long, and Belichick’s candidacy will likely delay Shanahan’s bid even longer, but he should reach Canton one day.
