When the Atlanta Falcons job didn’t materialize for Bill Belichick, sources involved in that situation indicated that the legendary coach’s desire for authority played a role.
However, Dallas Cowboys icon Jimmy Johnson is now challenging that notion. According to Johnson, in his conversations with Belichick, the former New England Patriots head coach expressed, “I don’t need to be in charge of everything.” This statement seems to contradict the perception of Belichick’s strong control over personnel decisions during his successful tenure in New England, where he won six Super Bowls in 24 years. Johnson suggests that Belichick’s level of power in New England wasn’t something he actively sought but rather something that evolved over time due to his long tenure with the team.
Johnson further stated that Belichick is open to relinquishing some of the personnel decisions to the general manager and other personnel staff in his next role. However, some may question whether this is truly a concession, as it is typically expected that the coach defers all personnel decisions to the GM in a standard organizational structure.
Despite numerous rumors linking Bill Belichick to various teams, including Jimmy Johnson’s former team, the Dallas Cowboys, there was never any concrete evidence to support these claims. Ultimately, the Atlanta Falcons were the only team to interview Belichick. Reports indicated that the Falcons had concerns about restructuring their power structure to accommodate Belichick’s preferences, which played a role in their decision to hire Raheem Morris instead, leaving Belichick without a job.
Johnson mentioned that front-office members from other teams were apprehensive about hiring Belichick because they feared losing their jobs if he joined the organization. This fear aligns with reports about concerns regarding Belichick’s desire for control. Despite Belichick’s statements about not needing total control, the perception among some front-office members was that he might still seek significant influence, leading to their reluctance to hire him.
Johnson, a Hall of Famer and Ring of Honor member, predicts that Belichick’s situation will change during the next NFL Coaching Carousel. He noted that there were many people working against Belichick in terms of getting a job and expressed surprise that Belichick didn’t receive more opportunities. Johnson believes that Belichick will have more opportunities next year.
