Bill Belichick contacted the New York Jets about their head coaching vacancy before accepting the job at North Carolina, according to a person familiar with the situation.
The 72-year-old Belichick was introduced Thursday as North Carolina’s football coach. But the former New England Patriots coach recently reached out to the Jets, who fired Robert Saleh on Oct. 8 and installed defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich as the interim coach.
There were no meetings or formal discussions between Belichick and the Jets, according to the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on Saturday on condition of anonymity because neither side commented publicly about the situation.
The Athletic first reported the contact between the sides, and the New York Post said Belichick personally reached out to the Jets — a surprising development considering the coach’s strained relationship with the franchise.
Belichick has recently been critical during television appearances of owner Woody Johnson and the Jets, who are 3-10 and will miss the playoffs for the 14th straight season — the NFL's longest active drought. The team is also searching for a general manager after Johnson fired Joe Douglas on Nov. 19.
Belichick was an assistant on coach Bill Parcells’ staff with the Jets from 1997 to 1999, and was in line to become New York’s head coach when Parcells stepped down. But Belichick instead decided to resign after just one day to pursue the same job in New England. A trade was eventually worked out and Belichick ended up with the Patriots, with whom he won six Super Bowl titles with quarterback Tom Brady.
In 2007, then-Jets coach Eric Mangini — a former assistant under Belichick — helped initiate the Spygate scandal during which Belichick and the Patriots were fined by the NFL for illegally videotaping signals by Jets coaches during a game.
Belichick agreed to leave the Patriots after last season, ending one of the most successful head coaching tenures in NFL history. His 333 career regular-season and postseason wins trail only Don Shula’s 347, and his 31 playoff wins are the most in league history.
Belichick interviewed last offseason for the Atlanta Falcons’ job, but was out of the NFL this season.
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New York Jets owner Woody Johnson walks the field before an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
FILE - Then-New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick during the second half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints, Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)
New North Carolina football coach Bill Belichick laughs during an NCAA college football press conference, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in Chapel Hill, N.C.. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)
New North Carolina football coach Bill Belichick speaks following his introduction at an NCAA college football press conference, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in Chapel Hill, N.C. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)
The Athletics are building a new-look rotation for their big move to Sacramento.
The A's added to their pitching depth on Saturday, acquiring Jeffrey Springs in a multiplayer trade with the Tampa Bay Rays.
The A's also received fellow left-hander Jacob Lopez from Tampa Bay in exchange for right-handers Joe Boyle and Jacob Watters, infielder Will Simpson and a competitive balance pick in the 2025 amateur draft.
The addition of Springs is another notable move for the A’s ahead of their first season in West Sacramento. They are planning to play at Sutter Health Park for the next three years before they hope to move into a new stadium in Las Vegas.
The A’s finalized a $67 million, three-year contract with veteran right-hander Luis Severino this month.
The A’s went 69-93 this year, and then left Oakland after 57 seasons.
“I've been pretty open about looking for starting pitching since the offseason started and the fact that hopefully signing Severino wasn't going to be the only move we made,” general manager David Forst said. “We've been exploring more options in free agency and having this trade discussion with the Rays probably since middle of October. It got a little momentum in the last couple days and couldn't be more excited to add Jeffrey Springs to our rotation and also add Jacob Lopez who we see as another option for our rotation.”
The 32-year-old Springs had Tommy John surgery on April 24, 2023. He returned to Tampa Bay in July and went 2-2 with a 3.27 ERA in seven starts before he was shut down in September because of elbow fatigue.
Springs is slated to make $10.5 million in each of the next two seasons as part of a $31 million, four-year contract. There is a $15 million team option for 2027 with a $750,000 buyout.
Springs had his best season with the Rays in 2022, going 9-5 with a 2.46 ERA in 33 games, including 25 starts. He also had 144 strikeouts in 135 1/3 innings.
Forst figures Springs wouldn't have been available via trade had he stayed healthy the past two years.
“The way he started out 2023, he looked like he was on track to be one of if not the best pitcher in the big leagues that year with his first three starts,” Forst said. “And then unfortunately he got hurt but was able to come back and make seven starts last year and pitch really well. It's not easy going through that rehab and coming back and competing in the big leagues the following season. Those things were all factors.”
Lopez, 26, made his big league debut in August 2023. He is 1-0 with a 4.76 ERA and one save in eight career games, including two starts.
Tampa Bay is looking to rebound from a disappointing 80-82 finish this year. The Rays went 99-63 and made the AL playoffs as a wild card in 2023.
The 6-foot-7 Boyle was a fifth-round pick by Cincinnati in the 2020 amateur draft out of the University of Notre Dame. He was traded to the A's in July 2023.
Boyle, 25, has a big arm, but he has struggled with control at times. He is 5-6 with a 5.23 ERA in 16 major league games, including 13 starts. He has struck out 71 and walked 45 in 63 2/3 innings.
Simpson, 23, batted .282 with 18 homers and 90 RBIs in 127 games over two minor league stops this year. He was a 15th-round pick in the 2023 draft.
Watters, 23, is 9-12 with a 5.86 ERA in 43 career minor league appearances. He was a fourth-round selection in 2022.
AP Baseball Writers Ronald Blum and Jay Cohen contributed to this story.
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FILE - Oakland Athletics pitcher Joe Boyle during a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers in Oakland, Calif., Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
FILE - Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Jeffrey Springs throws during the first inning of a baseball game Minnesota Twins, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)
