-
Andrea Adelson
North Carolina coach Bill Belichick said Friday he will not pursue any NFL head coaching vacancies after his name surfaced in connection with the vacant New York Giants job.
After the Giants fired Brian Daboll on Monday, Belichick became the subject of speculation around the opening. In a statement posted on Instagram, Belichick said, “Despite circulating rumors, I have not and will not pursue any NFL head coaching vacancies.”
Before coming to college coaching, Belichick spent his entire career in the NFL — winning six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots.
But he won two Super Bowls with the Giants as a defensive coordinator under Bill Parcells in the 1986 and 1990 seasons.
“I have great respect and genuinely care for the New York Giants organization and both the Mara and Tisch families. The New York Giants played an important role in my life and in my coaching journey. It was a privilege for me to work for the Mara family and be a member of Coach Parcells’ staff for over a decade,” Belichick wrote.
Belichick is in his first season with North Carolina, which has won two straight games to bring its record to 4-5. He was asked during his news conference Tuesday about the speculation concerning the Giants and he reiterated he was focused on Saturday’s game against Wake Forest.
The statement Friday also reiterated his commitment to North Carolina, saying that has not wavered.
“We have tremendous support from the university, our alumni, and the entire Carolina community. My focus remains solely on continuing to improve this team, develop our players, and build a program that makes Tar Heel fans proud,” Belichick said.