In a story published earlier this week by The Athletic’s Jeff Howe, Patriots owner Robert Kraft would not hesitate to fire Bill Belichick. The story cited Kraft displeasure with this season thus far and the overall direction of the franchise as the reasons he would part ways with Belichick.
Both are valid concerns but moving on from Belichick is far from a slam dunk. Have you looked at what’s out there in the NFL assistant coaching world? There are not many quality assistant coaches that come to mind right now that would be an upgrade over Bill Belichick.
Outside of Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Chargers offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and possibly former Patriots assistant and current Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, there are not many viable head coaching candidates out there.
I understand that both the Krafts and Patriot fans alike are frustrated with Belichick and the team’s 1-4 start but moving on from him at the end of the season may not be as simple as people think.
Johnson will be in high demand and should get a head coaching job. Same for Moore if the Chargers make a playoff run. Quinn will also do the interview rounds and could take a job. You have to ask yourself however. Are any of these guys an upgrade Belichick? I don’t think so.
Of course you also have the internal candidates, Bill O’Brien and Jerod Mayo. Both are more likely replacements at this point than any outside candidate. O’Brien in particular has the best resume of any potential candidate. Mayo is well respected around league circles. Both are held in high regard by the Kraft family.
Either way you look at it, it is not as cut and dry as you think when it comes to Belichick’s future with the Patriots. I still think he is the best option to coach this team this season and beyond.
After the season, Kraft could mandate that Belichick give up personnel control and just focus on coaching the team. Assuming Belichick agrees, the Patriots could then hire a general manager and Belichick could just focus on coaching. Of course that easier said than done. Egos could get in the way.
The allure of hiring a new coach, especially an offensive minded coach is appealing. Starting over however is not easy. There will be bumps in the road. Things may not be any better next season.
The NFL is a quick turnaround league but there is no guarantee that hitting rock bottom, drafting in the top five and hiring a new coach will change a franchise’s fortunes. Be careful what you wish for. The road to contention is longer than you think when you bottom out.
The devil you know is better than the devil you don’t. Firing Belichick may not be the cure all everyone around here thinks it will be.