Five reasons why Bill Belichick's next job should be coaching this high school team
After parting ways with the New England Patriots, Bill Belichick is a man without an island currently.
Well, that isn't entirely true.
Bill Belichick has long been a fan of Nantucket. He owns a compound in Siasconset (better known as 'Sconset') and has not been quiet about his affinity for the island.
"Oh boy, I don't think you've got enough space in your paper," said Belichick when the Cape Cod Times asked about what he enjoyed about Nantucket in 2005.
Nantucket High just so happens to have an opening for head football coach.
A marriage made in heaven?
OK. Maybe I'm being tongue-in-cheek here. But there's like a 0.1% chance of this happening. Belichick clearly wants to continue his coaching career. Yes, the chance to break Don Shula's all-time NFL wins record (Shula is at 347, while 'The Hoodie' is at 333) is tempting. But the call of the island is just as strong.
Here are five reasons why Belichick could ditch the NFL to lead the Whalers:
Belichick loves Nantucket
Who could forget that in 2020, Belichick manned the NFL Draft command center from his home in Nantucket (with the help of his dog).
Belichick has long been tied to the island. He began buying homes in 1979 and has amassed what's been called a compound on the island.
He's a seasonal resident currently, but coaching high school ball would allow him to spend even more time there.
He wouldn't be the first
There are loads of coaches in Massachusetts high school football with ties to the NFL. Vernon Crawford, a former New England Patriot, just wrapped up his first year as Quincy High's football coach. Jermaine Wiggins, who played for Belichick, had a one-year foray at Brockton High. Brian St. Pierre, a quarterback with four different teams, has built St. John's Prep into a powerhouse.
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But there's one comparison that's particularly apt here - Mike Sherman.
Sherman, a Norwood native, coached the Green Bay Packers for six seasons (2000-2005) and was also the head coach at Texas A&M. After a year removed from coaching in the NFL, Sherman became Nauset High's football coach.
Before taking the job at Nauset, Sherman was a West Dennis resident.
“My wife, Karen, has put up with a lot in regard to my career and was happy to have unpacked her last box," said Sherman to the Cape Cod Times when he was hired. "We’ve been coming here almost every summer over the last 30-plus years as a family, so we felt this was a natural fit for us to call Cape Cod home.”
Sherman's two-year tenure ultimately finished with a 4-18 record. He resigned to allow the school to hire a coach who worked in the building.
Sick of the hoopla?
Judging by his press conference antics, Belichick has never been a fan of the circus that surrounds professional sports.
Belichick loves football, but doesn't seem to be a fan of some of the miscellaneous distractions that come with being in the NFL. There's none of that coaching high school football.
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Yes, there's plenty of pressure on high school coaches, but it pales in comparison to the NFL. There's no more salary negotiations or QB controversies that handle the programming for Felger and Mazz all week. Just football.
For a football junkie, could there be a better retirement gig than coaching on Friday nights in his favorite place? And at 71 and with the only NFL job openings seemingly requiring rebuilds, now could be the time to settle down.
Nantucket needs a revival
The Whalers have a proud football tradition, having won four Super Bowls. But Nantucket has fallen on hard times in recent years with a 4-15 mark over the previous two seasons.
Belichick took the Patriots from a middling franchise to the most dominant dynasty in the NFL's history. Although Nantucket has struggled recently, there's a winning DNA in the program that could be resurrected with the right skipper.