No one perhaps has a better feel for the NFL’s coach hiring cycle than Bill Belichick. It’s been three years since Belichick last coached a game in the league, but the time-tested ethos of the cycle has more or less stayed the same: no one’s job is ever truly completely safe.
John Harbaugh has stood out as the most stunning ousting so far, with the Ravens deciding to part ways with him after 18 seasons. Mike McDaniel and Kevin Stefanski were also fired from their respective teams following their disappointing seasons, and a few others—like Pete Carroll and Jonathan Gannon—were arguably more predictable dominoes to fall this winter.
In the wake of sweeping changes across the NFL coaching landscape, Belichick shared his candid thoughts on seeing Harbaugh get let go.
“It’s always a tough situation. Steve Bisciotti is a great owner. John Harbaugh is a great coach. They had a great run together. Sometimes it’s just time,” Belichick said on the Let’s Go podcast with Peter King and Jim Gray.
The Patriots legend then got brutally honest about the state of the NFL coaching industry and what it takes to survive in the league:
“I’m sure they’ll both move on, and they’ll both move on to a lot of success. But sometimes those [decisions] just have to be made,” continued Belichick. “I don’t know enough on the inside to know what really did or didn’t happen. It’s not my place to comment on that. ... Ultimately the owners have to make the decisions as to what they feel is best for their franchise and everyone else—players, coaches, scouts, general managers and so forth—we all have to live with those decisions. That’s what you sign up for when you enter this profession.”
It’s not a new sentiment by any means, but it can be a diligent reminder to current coaches on the hot seat who might not be living up to owners’ expectations.
One of those coaches is Mike Tomlin, who just saw his Steelers team get blown out by the Texans in Monday’s wild-card game. Tomlin shared a similar sentiment about Harbaugh’s firing earlier this month:
“More than anything I just think it's a larger example of today's sports culture in terms of not a lot of patience in the entertainment component of what it is that we do. There's just not a lot of longevity,” Tomlin said.
At the end of the day, results matter. Belichick, who led the Patriots to nine AFC titles and six Super Bowl wins and has racked up a whopping 333 total career victories during his legendary two-decade tenure in the league, delivered when it mattered most. Not many NFL coaches today can say the same.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Bill Belichick Shares His Candid Thoughts on Ravens Firing John Harbaugh.
