Where Will Bill Belichick Coach Next After Parting Ways With the New England Patriots?

The college football season just wrapped up and the NFL playoffs will start this weekend, but the biggest headlines in football right now are about two greats of the coaching profession, Nick Saban and Bill Belichick.

Yesterday, Saban, who spent four seasons as Belichick’s defensive coordinator with the Cleveland Browns from 1991 to 1994, called it a career after 17 seasons and six national championships at Alabama.

Today, the expected breakup between Belichick and the New England Patriots was confirmed.

After achieving unprecedented success across nearly two decades with Tom Brady, four post-Brady seasons produced three losing records, no division titles, only one playoff appearance, and a lot of frustrating results by Brady’s successors.

After finishing last in the AFC East with a 4-13 record, it seemed like a matter of time before Belichick’s exit was announced, and the news emerged early today before Belichick signed off on his tenure with a press conference.

Whereas his former defensive coordinator will be enjoying retirement while looking over the shoulder of his successor in Tuscaloosa, the 71-year-old Belichick is expected to take on a new challenge.

Where will that new challenge be? Currently, seven NFL head coaching jobs are open, and another position or two could join the list depending on what happens in the playoffs.

That’s a lot of possible options, but a few stand out to oddsmakers and media members at the moment.

Bill Belichick Next Team Odds

Odds are courtesy of BetOnline. If you’re interested in trying them out, we recommend checking out our BetOnline review.

Top Three Likely Landing Spots for Belichick

Atlanta Falcons

• Bill Belichick +100
• Eric Bieniemy +300
• Ben Johnson +700
• Kellen Moore +800
• Jim Harbaugh, Bobby Slowik, Mike Vrabel +1000
• Dave Canales +1200
• Brian Callahan & Mike MacDonald +1800
• Todd Monken & Jim Schwartz +2000

Following three straight 7-10 seasons, Arthur Smith was unsurprisingly sent packing on Monday.

With five games left, the Falcons were 6-6 and well-positioned to win their first NFC South title since 2016. But they dropped four of their last five games and finished third behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints.

What could make the Falcons an appealing option for Belichick? The NFC South is arguably the weakest division in the NFL, and the Falcons have a lot of pieces in place to have success with the right coach.

Smith didn’t maximize the talent and potential of the likes of Kyle Pitts, Drake London, and Bijan Robinson, but add Belichick and a new quarterback—Russell Wilson, perhaps?—to that trio, and you have the recipe for a lot of excitement in Atlanta for what could happen in 2024.

Tennessee Titans

• Bill Belichick & Bobby Slowik +400
• Mike MacDonald +500
• Ben Johnson +600
• Mike Kafka +700
• Dan Quinn +850
• Jim Harbaugh +1000, Eric Bieniemy, Antonio Pierce +1000
• Brian Callahan, Frank Smith, Lincoln Riley +1400
• Shane Bowen & Arthur Smith +2000

If Belichick elects to stay in the AFC, the option that currently stands out is the open position in Nashville.

It looked like Mike Vrabel and the Titans were on the verge of being a real contender after reaching the AFC Championship Game in his second season and winning back-to-back AFC South titles in 2020 and 2021.

But Tennessee went only 13-21 in the past two seasons, and ownership elected to part ways with Vrabel, who should have no problem landing on his feet somewhere.

The potential for immediate success doesn’t register as high with the Titans, who will have the seventh overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, as it does with the Falcons. But Derrick Henry is still in Nashville, and QB Will Levis had some positive moments in the nine games he played.

Washington Commanders

• Ben Johnson +200
• Bill Belichick +300
• Jim Harbaugh +600
• Mike MacDonald +900
• Eric Bieniemy +1200, Brian Flores, Frank Smith, Raheem Morris, Aaron Glenn +1200
• Mike Vrabel +1400
• Kellen Moore, Bobby Slowik, Antonio Pierce +1600
• Shane Waldron, Dan Quinn, Anthony Weaver, Todd Monken +1800

With new ownership at the helm, the Commanders needed to show a lot this year for Ron Rivera to get another year. That didn’t happen, as they went 4-13 and finished last in the NFC East.

Will ownership opt for a younger coach and give him the time to build properly, or will they prefer to pursue someone like Belichick with an eye on trying to close the gap between the Commanders and the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles, both of whom are set up for sustained success?

Where Will Belichick Coach in the 2024 NFL Season?

Based on potential for immediate success—which you would assume he is likely looking for at this stage of his career—the Falcons job is the best option of the trio of likely possibilities.

Could a better option emerge? If the Dallas Cowboys fall to the Green Bay Packers this weekend, speculation will be rife about the future of Mike McCarthy.

Would Jerry Jones make a move despite three consecutive 12-win seasons and two NFC East titles? That remains to be seen, but if he does, Belichick would immediately be a heavy favorite if he is still available.

Looking to learn more about the ins and outs of betting on the NFL? Check out our NFL betting guide.