Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, and former Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll have yet to find another NFL head coaching job despite being the two most proven coaches available.
Before departing from their last jobs, Belichick and Carroll were the two oldest coaches in the NFL. Belichick (71), and Carroll (72) have both showed a desire to continue coaching, yet they remain jobless.
Belichick is widely considered to be the greatest coach in NFL history, and he and Carroll are among the winningest coaches in NFL history. Belichick has interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons twice. Carroll, despite making a late push for the Los Angeles Chargers head coaching job, has yet to interview with another NFL team.
In an article from Outkick, Carroll explained that he still feels like he can coach.
“I’ve got plenty of energy for it and thought and willingness, but can’t imagine there’s a place, the right one,” Carroll said. “I don’t know. I’m open to everything, but I’m not holding my breath on that.
“There’s a lot of world out here that I’m excited about challenging and going after. So if that happens, it happens. We’ll see. I really don’t know what to tell you about that yet.”
Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll are the two most proven coaches on the market
Belichick, who has won six Super Bowls and three Coach of the Year Awards, is widely considered to be the greatest coach in the history of the NFL. His streak of 19 consecutive winning seasons is second all-time to Dallas Cowboys legend Tom Landry.
Belichick is the third-winningest head coach in NFL history with 302 regular season wins. If playoff and regular-season wins are counted, Belichick is just 14 wins behind Miami Dolphins legend Don Shula.
Belichick has won a total of eight Super Bowls if his wins as an assistant are counted. Belichick is known for his defensive expertise, and his in-game situational awareness is second to none.
Classic Pats game in Denver 2003. Belichick takes the safety and his defense makes the stop and then Brady drives for the win. pic.twitter.com/fEUbhbIRjc
— RandomTomBradyHighlights (@TomBradyDaily) March 22, 2022
Carroll is also a Super Bowl-winning head coach who ranks 15th in all-time wins. He is tied at 170 wins with legendary coaches like Tom Coughlin and Mike Shanahan.
Carroll’s worst efforts with the Seahawks were seven-win seasons. Two of his three seven-win seasons were in the first two years he arrived as the coach of the Seahawks. Carroll went to the Super Bowl twice and had nine seasons with 10 or more wins as a head coach.
The NFL only has four coaches that are 60-years-old or older; Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll were the only two that were older than 70
With Belichick and Carroll remaining jobless thus far, the oldest coach in the NFL right now is Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid. Reid is 65, and there have been rumblings of an upcoming retirement.
Chiefs continue to have possible Andy Reid retirement after current playoff run ends on radar screen. https://t.co/mHa4rLpXWA
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) January 20, 2024
The list of coaches in the NFL that are 60-years-old or older includes:
- Andy Reid – 65
- John Harbaugh – 61
- Mike McCarthy – 60
- Todd Bowles – 60
Notes about this list include the fact that Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton is 59, and will be turning 60 on Dec. 29. Also, Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh is reportedly very close to making a deal with the Los Angeles Chargers and he is 60-years-old.
If Harbaugh were to be hired, he would be the only coach on this list to be hired over the age of 60. All the coaches that are 60 and older were hired before they turned 60, and that includes Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick.
Before Belichick and Carroll, Chicago Bears head coach George Halas and Buffalo Bills head coach Marv Levy were the only two non-interim head coaches in NFL history to coach a game while being older than 70.
Between the three coaches that have been hired in this offseason’s coaching cycle thus far, only one of them has experience as a head coach in the NFL. The Las Vegas Raiders new head coach Antonio Pierce is that coach, and his only experience as an NFL head coach comes as an interim this past season.
Belichick’s replacement, Jerod Mayo, and new Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan both have zero experience as a head coach in the NFL.
One potential reason for older coaches like Belichick and Carroll not getting a chance is for a perceived sense of stability. Owners and organizations might prefer a coach who they think could build a dynasty. That being said, it is unclear as to why proven coaches like Belichick and Carroll remain jobless.
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