Early January is the most intriguing period of the NFL calendar, not just because of the start of the postseason but also because of the coaching carousel that ensues.
The Patriots are not immune to the league’s head coach drama as offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is once again a hot commodity. McDaniels, however, seems content with staying in New England at least for another year despite several marquee jobs opening up.
“Though he’d like to be an HC again one day, Pats OC Josh McDaniels notified teams Monday he will remain in NE, not interview for HC jobs now,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted this week.
Openings such as “head coach of the Chicago Bears” or “head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles” do not come around too often. The fact that McDaniels would not even talk to those teams regarding the vacancies has led many to believe that McDaniels will be Bill Belichick’s successor in Foxboro.
Belichick will be 61-years-old when the 2013 season begins and he has hinted in the past that he does not want to become a Don Shula (who retired at 65) or Marv Levy (who retired at 72). The Pats coach has also joked about Bill Parcells’ propensity for flip-flopping about retirement in the past and has indicated that he will not go about things the same way. It seems that when Belichick is done on the sidelines, he’ll be done for good.
“He’s been talking about retirement since 1986,” Belichick said with a grin about Parcells in the 2010 documentary “Bill Parcells: Reflections on a Life in Football.”
Details on Belichick’s contract have not been reported on since the beginning of the 2007 season. ESPN’s Michael Smith reported in September of that year that “Belichick and Patriots ownership recently agreed to a long-term contract extension. The pact will keep Belichick on New England’s sideline through at least the 2013 season.”
