Report: Bill Belichick committed to North Carolina amid NFL interest

The speculation was fun for a few hours, but if a report from The Athletic’s Dianna Russini is any indication, Bill Belichick won’t be headed back to the NFL this offseason.

A report from NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero surfaced Wednesday morning that ‘multiple NFL teams have inquired’ about Belichick and any potential interest in returning to an NFL sideline. That included the Las Vegas Raiders, where Tom Brady is a minority owner.

But Russini reports she was told Belichick’s ‘sole focus is on coaching and recruiting for North Carolina, as he continues building the Tar Heels’ future.’ She added that he is in New Jersey recruiting today.

Bill Belichick signed a five-year contract to become North Carolina’s head coach back on December 11th. He has a $10 million buyout with that contract, valid until June 1, when it drops to just $1 million.

As it stands right now, Bill Belichick is hitting the recruiting trail, the transfer portal and filling out his staff. He’s reportedly targeting IMG Academy head coach Billy Miller for a spot on the coaching staff.

Miller has been with IMG Academy for over a decade now, becoming the program’s head coach ahead of the 2014 season. He was previously working in the NFL and was hired by Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots to be a special teams coaching assistant. However, once IMG Academy called, Miller decided to jump to the high school ranks.

Tampa Bay was Miller’s last official job before leaving for IMG Academy. Working with the special teams unit is where he was placed at the time. Greg Schiano was the Buccanneers’ head coach when being hired, hiring him directly away from Rutgers.

On3’s Nick Kosko also contributed to this report.