When Bill Belichick became the head coach of… North Carolina State UniversityHe said adamantly that he did not go there “to leave.”
But one of his former players Rob GronkowskiHe disagrees.
Belichick, after being away from the NFL sidelines for the first time in nearly 50 years, agreed last month to become the next head coach at UNC, saying making it to the college ranks was a dream come true.
However, Belichick has clearly found success with the NFL, and Gronk believes Belichick is still looking forward to returning home.
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Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski celebrates a 16-yard reception with head coach Bill Belichick during the AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Foxborough, Massachusetts, January 16, 2016. (Matthew J. Lee/Boston Globe via Getty Images)
When asked during a recent interview with Fox News Digital if he thought Belichick would retire as a Tar Heel, he said he didn't think so.
“I think if Bill succeeds, he will eventually hand this program over to his son, whose son is just developing into a future head coach,” Gronkowski said. “I love his son, and he's doing a great job in the college defensive ranks…so I think Coach Belichick is going to have some good success at UNC, but I think his heart really belongs in the NFL ranks, and he'll eventually go back to the NFL if That was within three or four years but I think he finished his coaching career as a head coach of an NFL team.
Belichick coached New England Patriots For 24 seasons, he won six Super Bowls during his tenure — three of which came with Gronkowski as his final star. Following the 2023 season, the coach and team mutually agreed to part ways.
Without Belichick, the Pats had one of their worst seasons in recent memory, going 4-13, though Drake Maye gave fans something to be excited about. Entering Sunday, they owned the No. 1 overall pick, but with the win, they will now pick No. 4. Gronkowski, who recently partnered with Bounty, says the paper towel brand may be enough to clean up the current mess in Foxboro.
“I'm about two minutes away now. If I just walked over and grabbed the Bounty paper towel, it's a mess out there right now, and I'll just use the Bounty paper towels with a couple of wipes, man, I'll do it.” He'll probably be the head coach right after that,” he joked.
Gronkowski joined fellow future Hall of Famer Drew Brees as Bounty Wingman before the playoffs, because as Buffalo native Gronk says, “You can't have football without wings, and you can't have wings without Bounty.”
New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski and head coach Bill Belichick before their game against the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium on September 22, 2016. (Winslow Townson – USA Today Sports)
Titans, with no. 1 draft pick, Fire Chief Ran Carthon
“That's why I'm the total package here. I'm all three of those: I love football, I love the Wings, and I love the Bounty. And Drew Brees and I are going to go to New Orleans, and we're going to dominate the city and we're going to clean up our mess with Bounty paper towels,” said Gronk, who It's surprising that he never went out across town, about his partnership with the Saints legend.
Moving on from Belichick, the Patriots went for Jerrod Mayo, a pick Belichick himself made years ago. But after just one season, he was fired and Gronk was not happy.
“I was surprised to hear about Giroud's dismissal. I mean I felt it was unfair to him, because he took over a team where he was going to need some time to build and develop to get back to winning ways,” he said. “I mean the roster was depleted, and Giroud was a rookie coach, and I felt like he needed another year to really be able to judge him on how he developed and grew after that first season. But obviously, right after that first season. In the first season, it was clear (Robert) Kraft felt like he wasn't the guy to build a culture that went back to winning ways, so Kraft wasted no time and relinquished Giroud's duties.
New England Patriots coach Jerrod Mayo speaks with the media, Oct. 18, 2024, in Harrow, England. (AP Photo/Steve Luciano)
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“Now I feel like Kraft is going to throw everything he can into the process of hiring a new head coach that he believes will turn this program around and get them back to the playoffs as soon as possible. It's kind of an ugly situation, but it should win, but I also feel like there wasn't enough time to evaluate Giroud May.”
The overwhelming speculation is that Mike Vrabel will take over the Pats – he played for New England and became the coach of the Tennessee Titans after his playing days were over.
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