Behind closed doors: ESPN’s Seth Wickersham takes deeper dive into Belichick-Kraft turmoil
During this morning’s Toucher & Hardy radio program, Seth Wickersham discussed revelations about the strained relationship between Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft, sourced from his recent story. The discussion delved into a quote from a close source to Belichick, suggesting Kraft’s potential motivations regarding Belichick’s coaching future. Wickersham highlighted the toxic atmosphere and lack of support for Belichick toward the end of his tenure with the Patriots, shedding light on Kraft’s mindset and the emotional dynamics between the two key figures.
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TRANSCRIPT:
HARDY: There is a graph in the story, Seth, where you wrote, “Asked whether Kraft had any motivations to keep Belichick off the sideline. A source close to the coach said, ‘If Bill goes on to have success and Tom already had success, then who does Kraft have to blame?'” How likely do you think it is? Because, again, this is a source close to Bill telling you.
SETH WICKERSHAM: Yes.
HARDY: Right, right. How likely do you think that’s an actual thing? Like, that was part of the calculus and is an ongoing part of the thought process of Robert Kraft saying, “I can’t have him out there coaching and winning, because if he does, I’m going to look like the one who ruined this thing.”
SETH WICKERSHAM: I think it’s indicative of how bad things are now. That’s what I think it is. I think that Kraft, there was a source in the story who was very close to Kraft and is very close to Kraft and essentially says, “They’re not doing anything to help Bill, but they weren’t going to hurt him either.” You know, I think that’s a little bit more accurate. Like, I think that if Belichick had ended up with a job this hiring cycle, I don’t think that Kraft would be moved either way by it. I think that quote, you know, from someone who’s incredibly well-versed in the Patriot way, I think that it’s indicative of just how toxic things are and how bad things got at the end. And, you know, I reported it in January right after Belichick and the Patriots went separate ways. And we kind of repeated it in this story. But, you know, I think that most people thought that Bill was done this past season after they lost the game. I think it was in Germany to the Colts. You know, they had a horrifically poor offensive performance. And you know, he benched Mac Jones for the two, you know, just for a two-minute drill. And I think that like that the Krafts had made up their mind and that might have been true. I don’t know. I know that the Krafts, you know, they. When you lose a game or you get on a losing streak, you know, there’s no question that they can other things that, you know, out of emotion sometimes. But I think that Belichick wanted to keep coaching in New England and believed that he had a chance to fix things there until like mid-December when I think he finally realized that, you know, his time there was going to come to an end. And so, you know, that quote and whether Kraft wants him to coach again and how blunt he was in conversations, the two conversations that he had with Arthur Blank during the interview cycle, the conversation that he had with Josh Harris down in Washington. I think no matter what, people know that. These. This is reflective of just how poor. The terms are with these two men who accomplished, you know, unbelievable things together.
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NICK GEMELLI is a Producer on Toucher & Hardy, weekday mornings 6-10AM on 985 The Sports Hub. He is also a contributor on 985thesportshub.com. Follow Nick on X (formerly Twitter) at @NickGemelli.
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5 big takeaways from ESPN's inside look at Bill Belichick's job hunt
Robert Kraft previously considered moving on from Belichick
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – JANUARY 11: Head coach Bill Belichick (L) of the New England Patriots speaks to the media as owner Robert Kraft (R) looks on during a press conference at Gillette Stadium on January 11, 2024 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Belichick announced he is stepping down as head coach after 24 seasons with the team. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
According to this piece, “a source close to Robert Kraft said he considered moving on from Belichick after the 2022 season, but his son Jonathan talked him out of it.” This would have come after the season in which Belichick elected to replace offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels with former defensive coordinator Matt Patricia and special teams coordinator Joe Judge.
Instead of firing Belichick, immediate following the season the Patriots put out a release saying they planned on going through a full hiring process for a new offensive coordinator (the job later went to Bill O’Brien) and that they had reached a contract extension with then-linebackers coach Jerod Mayo. We later found out that contract included a clause that Mayo would be Belichick’s successor.
Belichick’s managment style and limited window were both deterrents for teams
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – DECEMBER 07: New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick reacts during the second half against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on December 07, 2023 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
The piece runs the majority of the teams that were looking for head coaches back in January, and why they chose not to interview Belichick. There were two common themes in the reasoning – Belichick’s all-controlling coaching style, and a belief he wasn’t a long-term option, and would coach a season beyond getting the 15 wins needed to break the all-time record.
“Belichick’s leadership style led, in part, to the decision by seven team owners to pass on him this offseason, and the bad blood between Kraft and Belichick was no secret around the league, according to more than a dozen sources close to the coach and owners,” the piece reads.
That’s still expected to be an issue for Belichick if/when he looks for another job in 2025 as well.
“Next season, the list of potential suitors for Belichick will be limited,” ESPN reports. Former Belichick co-worker Michael Lombardi is quoted as saying, “There’s an inherent discomfort with change because people want to protect their jobs.”
In the end, Belichick wasn’t even the runner-up for the Atlanta job
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – OCTOBER 08: Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank celebrates after the Falcons beat the Houston Texans 21-19 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on October 08, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Pretty much up until they hired Raheem Morris, Belichick was considered the favorite for the Atlanta job. According to ESPN that was the case at one point, after his first interview with team owner Arthur Blank.
However, things changed once the rest of the Falcons’ top decision makers – team CEO Rick McKay, general manager Terry Fontenot, and team president Greg Beadles – got involved. After that meeting the Falcons interviewed a few more head coaches. When the group then had to make a decision, Belichick wasn’t even second on the list according to ESPN.
“Blank and the Falcons execs compared notes. Morris was the unanimous first choice,” the piece reads, explaining the Falcons’ brass “voted on the team’s next head coach, ranking each candidate.”
“The team then discussed alternatives if they couldn’t hire Morris. In that straw poll, Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, eventually hired by the Seahawks, was the second choice. [Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby] Slowik finished third.”
“Bill Belichick didn’t even finish in anyone’s top three,” the piece includes.
What happened that left Belichick on the outside looking in?
“A source familiar with the Falcons’ thinking said neither McKay nor Fontenot wanted to work with Belichick,” the piece reads, continuing that the belief was “if you hire Belichick, he will inevitably run the team, even if he doesn’t demand total control.”
“They viewed Belichick as ‘an older, stoic coach who’d blow up the building’ and wouldn’t likely stay beyond two years after he sets the all-time wins record,” ESPN adds. “Also, Blank hates coaching searches and he would have to do another.”
Belichick’s staffing choices were also reportedly an issue. “The executives also were concerned about the staff Belichick would bring with him, including assistants who had worked with him in New England and who had struggled on their own: Josh McDaniels, Joe Judge, Jack Easterby, Matt Patricia. At one point, Blank asked Belichick why his charges had failed elsewhere. Belichick replied that he thought they were better soldiers than generals.”
Kraft may have also played a role in Belichick not getting hired by Atlanta
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – DECEMBER 17: New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Bon Jovi, and head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots look on prior to a game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Gillette Stadium on December 17, 2023 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
If Blank had such a good initial interview with Belichick, why wasn’t he one of his top three choices to run the team? That may have been due to a conversation he had with Kraft, according to ESPN.
“In a conversation with Blank, Kraft delivered a stark assessment of Belichick’s character, according to a source who spoke to two people: a close Kraft friend and a longtime Belichick confidant. The source quoted the Belichick source as saying, ‘Robert called Arthur to warn him not to trust Bill.’ That account was backed up, the source said, by the close Kraft friend. Multiple sources said that Kraft spoke with ‘some candor’ to Blank about Belichick, though the sources declined to elaborate,” ESPN says.
“The sources said Kraft made clear to Blank that ‘you’ll never have a warm conversation with’ Belichick, echoing what Bill Parcells told Kraft in 1996 when he wanted to bust the budget and hire Belichick. ‘Blank likes coaches who feel part of a family,’ a Falcons source said, ‘and it wasn’t going to be that way with Bill,'” the piece continues.
“One source close to Belichick said Kraft ‘was a big part’ of why the Falcons passed on hiring him,” the writers add.
Patriots VP of Communications Stacey James is quoted directly in the post, denying that report. “Robert steadfastly denies saying anything negative to Arthur Blank about Bill Belichick after Robert and Bill mutually agreed to part ways,” he says. “In fact, Robert advocated for Bill to get the job.”
“When asked if Kraft had ever criticized Belichick in conversations with Blank, James said Kraft had no recollection of doing that,” ESPN relays. “But James acknowledged Kraft might have done so prior to January.”
“It would not surprise me to learn that owners sometimes lament to those close to them when their teams are struggling,” James continues in the piece, “but Robert Kraft never questioned Bill’s character or trust when talking with Arthur Blank. Trust is important to Robert. He wouldn’t have employed Coach Belichick for the past 24 years if he ever questioned his trust.”
What Belichick will be looking for in 2025
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – FEBRUARY 04: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots looks on during warm-ups prior to Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium on February 4, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
According to ESPN, Belichick expects to be back interviewing for head coaching jobs next season. “He has told confidants he thinks he’ll get at least one interview next year,” ESPN reports. Where might that be?
“Belichick has told confidants that he hopes if a team in the northeast has an opening, it will consider him,” according to ESPN, which specifically mentions the Dallas Cowboys as Mike McCarthy is entering the final year of his contract. “That way, key former assistants who live in the region, such as Patricia and McDaniels, will be able to join him with minimal family disruption.”
