Coaching legend Bill Belichick was apparently interested in a job with the New York Jets and two other NFL teams. But then everything changed.

NFL legend Bill Belichick surprised the football world when he took the job as head coach of the University of North Carolina. The 72-year-old was considered a hot candidate for open NFL positions, but before Christmas he decided to go for college football.

As reported by ESPN, Belichick said in early December that he was “very surprised” that no NFL team had contacted him about open positions, including the New York Jets, the New Orleans Saints and the Chicago Bears.

He thought the Bears in particular would be an attractive option, but saw no chance of getting the job.

CBS Sports revealed that Belichick himself is said to have called the Jets to sound out their interest.

However, the Jets, who are in the process of hiring a coach after the dismissal of Robert Saleh in week 5, stated that they are only at the beginning of their selection process. But the coaching guru obviously did not want to wait that long.

“Genuine interest? Sense of duty? Desperation? Only the coach himself could really answer that,” commented CBS reporter Jonathan Jones on social media Belichick’s approach.

A return to the Jets – for the third time – would have been a big topic, especially with the Patriots on the horizon. Instead, Belichick is now making a fresh start at UNC.