CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick “could be near the top” of the Cowboys’ list of head coaching candidates.
Jones reports that “sources last month indicated Belichick had interest in the Dallas job should it come open.” Of course, when Belichick took the job at North Carolina, there was no guarantee that the Cowboys’ head coaching job would become available, which likely factored into his taking the job with the Tar Heels. Belichick has a $10 million buyout in his contract with the Tar Heels that would require him to pay $10 million to the program if he were to leave before June 1 of this year. It’s a buyout that’s clearly in place to deter Belichick from leaving shortly after an NFL job comes available, but if the Cowboys really want to hire him, and he’s interested in a return to the league, there are plenty of ways owner Jerry Jones can get his guy. Last week, it was reported that Belichick had “no plans” to return to the NFL after some speculated the Tom Brady could lure him to the Raiders. We’ll see if he carries the same tone now that the Cowboys’ job has come available, or if Belichick would be willing to return for a job he was reportedly interested in.