1 week ago
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Bill Belichick has ruled out an imminent return to the NFL with the New York Giants, insisting he 'has not and will not pursue any NFL head coaching vacancies.'
The six-time Super Bowl winner instead reaffirmed his commitment to the University of North Carolina amid links to the vacant head coach position in the Big Apple after the Giants fired Brian Daboll this week.
In a statement to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Belichick said: '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. However, despite circulating rumors, I have not and will not pursue any NFL head coaching vacancies.
'Since arriving in Chapel Hill, my commitment to the UNC Football program 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. We're on to Wake Forest.'
Bill Belichick has ruled out an imminent return to the NFL with the New York Giants
Last Saturday, UNC beat Stanford Cardinals 20-15 in Chapel Hill, another promising sign that the team is heading upwards after such a rocky start to the campaign.
Under Belichick's guidance, the Tar Heels are currently 4-5 so far this season and will be looking to improve that when they take on Wake Forest on Saturday.
Despite Belichick clearly being uninterested in the role, that didn't prevent speculation forming - after longtime NFL columnist Gary Myers suggested this week that he was in-fact keen on a return to New York.
Belichick, 73, was with the Giants from 1979-91, starting as a special teams coach and defensive assistant before serving as the defensive coordinator for a pair of Super Bowl-winning teams.
'He loves the Giants,' Myers said on the Valentine's Views podcast. 'I mean he loves the Giants. He gets emotional and melancholy reminiscing about his Giant years. Although that was a long time ago, the Giants have stolen his heart'.
'I do know that [owner] John Mara has a good relationship with Bill,' the former New York Daily News columnist added. 'Whether that means he would hire him, I don't know.'
