| | HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Bill Belichick resigned Tuesday as coach of the New York Jets, one day after being elevated to the job when Bill Parcells resigned.
Belichick insisted he is not burned out after 25 years in pro
coaching, but he said the uncertainty surrounding his place in the
organization dictated his decision.
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NFL: Jets retain rights |
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Text of a press release issued Tuesday at about 4:30 p.m. EST by the NFL:
The New York Jets today informed our office that they continue to
retain their contractual rights to Bill Belichick despite his announced
resignation as Jets head coach. Based upon that information and upon
Belichick's contract on file with this office, we have advised our clubs
that no club other than the Jets is permitted to speak with Belichick or his
representative about any NFL employment unless further notified by this
office.
ESPN also has been told that by a Patriots source that the club is
moving on and has no plans to contact the Jets again to ask for permission
to talk with Belichick. On Monday, the Patriots were denied permission by
the Jets to talk with Belichick.
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"I just don't feel I can lead the Jets in the year 2000," he
said in a stunning announcement at the Jets' training complex. "I just know what I need to do. I just don't feel I can do it right now."
"It is not about the future, it is about the situation I am in
now," he added.
Belichick was Parcells' handpicked successor when both came from the Patriots to the Jets in 1997. When Parcells said on Monday he
would turn over the football end of the franchise to Belichick, he
certainly had no idea his defensive coordinator would not want the
job.
"Bill Belichick will make all football decisions," Parcells
said then.
Obviously, Belichick felt otherwise.
"I just can't do it with the conviction, confidence and
certainty that is needed to get the job done," he said.
Belichick said questions about the Jets' future, including its
impending sale, convinced him to leave. He signed a six-year
contract with the Jets in 1997 that he said is being reviewed by
the NFL.
|  | | Unless the Jets release him from his contract, Bill Belichick won't be walking an NFL sideline for another team next season. |
"I just can't do what I need to do here," Belichick said.
"There are a lot of unanswered questions here. I have been
concerned about it since Leon Hess died (in May). ... I had no
clear direction of where I am going in the organization.
"I took Bill's words to heart, thought about it last night,"
added Belichick, who was Cleveland's head coach from 1991-95, going
37-45. "All I can deal with is the situation I have at hand and
that is what I am doing. It is not about trying to get out of a
contract or leveraging a contract."
Belichick, 47, also could have been a candidate for the New
England coaching job that opened Monday when Pete Carroll was
fired. The Patriots contacted the Jets by fax to seek permission to
talk to Belichick. But permission was denied because he already had
been elevated to head coach.
He said he would like to determine his career course. Asked if
he wanted to coach next year, Belichick said, "I haven't really
thought about it."
On Monday, Parcells said he couldn't make the commitment needed to return for a fourth season as Jets coach. He turned around the
franchise that was 3-13 and 1-15 under Rich Kotite, but was 9-7,
12-4 with a loss in the AFC title game, and 8-8 despite a slew of
injuries.
The Jets won their final four games and closed 7-2 after a 1-6
start, which seemed to re-energize Parcells. Instead, he decided to
stop coaching.
Now, with Belichick quitting, it leaves the franchise in
turmoil. A new owner will be selected this month, there is no head
coach and Parcells wants to run the front office.
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