We know Bill Belichick is a Super Bowl winner and a legendary one at that, but it turns out he’s also a trendsetter.
Belichick took a year off in 2024 after mutually parting ways with the New England Patriots after 24 legendary seasons and six Super Bowl wins, but he shocked the sports world earlier this offseason when he took the vacant head-coaching position at North Carolina.
Belichick had never been a college coach before so it’s going to be interesting to see how he does at UNC — especially in the NIL and transfer portal era, which he likely will have little patience for — but now he’s not the only former NFL head coach heading back to college.
Ron Rivera, who was last head coach of the Washington Commanders from 2020 to 2023 and also had a successful stint as head coach of the Carolina Panthers from 2011 to 2009, announced on Wednesday that he’s going to be going back to his alma mater, Cal this fall.
Rivera credited Belichick for the inspiration, saying that he made “going back to school, cool.”
