Bill Belichick wasn't the most open subject when it came to media availability during his days as coach of the New England Patriots, but during his brief one-season period of coaching unemployment, he pursued a number of different jobs as a football analyst. Among them was a weekly spot on the ManningCast, the regular ESPN Monday Night Football simulcast hosted by Peyton and Eli Manning.
After surprising the football world by taking the North Carolina job—his first in college football—Belichick continued his appearances in December. If anything, they were good free advertising for the Tar Heels program. However, as he enters his first season at UNC, Peyton Manning confirmed that the legendary coach won't be returning as a regular guest for the 2025 NFL season.
"He obviously seems busy right now coaching college football, so he won't be back this year. He'll be hard to replace," Manning said last week, during an interview at the Memorial Tournament Pro-Am in Ohio.
Belichick's regular appearances were a change-up from the typical ManningCast format, which typically features a different panel of guests every week. Manning made clear that he loves having on not just those from the world of football, but celebrities as varied as former President Barack Obama and rapper Snoop Dogg.
"I thought [Belichick's] insight was great," Manning said. "But we'll try to probably go back to rotating guests, and having coaches and players—which, I always like their insight—but also the actors and musicians. The common criteria to be a guest is you've got to love football. And Eli and I both love being around people who love football as much as we do, and all different walks of life."
The ManningCast rolls on for a fifth season, opening with ESPN's Week 1 broadcast of the Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings—the first of 12 broadcasts planned for the season. Belichick, meanwhile, returns to the sideline, and will likely resume his standoffish relationship with the media now that he is no longer among those ranks.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Bill Belichick Makes Decision on Returning for Weekly 'ManningCast' Guest Spot in '25.
