It Wasn't Ageism, It Was an Ending

A year ago, while he was steadily making weekly appearances on ESPN's The Pat McAfee Show, I labeled Bill Belichick as a victim of ageism (Ageism: From Biden to Belichick).

His days as a National Football League (NFL) head coach were over. I knew it. So did he.

Then came his unthinkable acceptance of the head coaching job at his alma mater, the University of North Carolina (North Carolina), on December 11, 2024.

Suddenly, you're left thinking, "Damn, this guy really loves coaching."

The media tossed around the same fundamental question for weeks after his shocking announcement: How will Belichick relate to the young men he's set to coach next season?

After five games as head coach of North Carolina, it's safe to say that question is still being answered.

If we can take the rumor mill seriously, Belichick and North Carolina are both interested in parting ways with an agreeable buyout.

Wow, what a difference a year makes.

Well, guess what? I called it wrong last year.

Belichick's removal from his long-time dual role as Head Coach and General Manager of the New England Patriots wasn't about ageism.

Life was pushing him to relinquish old dreams to generate new ones.

His nearly 50-year journey as a coach on many different levels must end.

Your Reinvention Starts When the Glory Ends

Hard truth.

Nothing related to Belichick's coaching furthered his legacy after Tom Brady departed from New England.

While Belichick's legacy is cemented and cannot be diminished, perceptions about who deserves a greater share of credit for New England's Super Bowl wins have shifted.

There's growing recognition that Belichick won with possibly the greatest quarterback in NFL history. Before Brady, he spent a decade coaching the greatest defensive player the game has seen, Lawrence Taylor.

"The Gods" gave him grace twice.

In hindsight, when Brady left his legendary coaching career, it should've ended.

That was the storybook ending.

Every reinvention begins with an ending. The wise make the gutsy decision.

They intuitively know when the time has come to move on.

The rest of us tend to act when our cards are dealt to us.

Either way, we're not meant to live our entire lives being driven by the same dream.

Reinvention allows us to grow and develop parts of us that need cultivating. Through reinvention, we bring other gifts we might have been suppressing to full bloom.

Allow me to share one of the most challenging questions you can ask yourself.

What is it time to let go of in your life to make space for new dreams?

The Nudges, Burnout, and the Wake-Up Call

Like Belichick, many of us struggle to break free from old habits, situations, and attitudes, often preferring to stick to what's tried and true instead of risking failure in something new and unfamiliar.

We willfully ignore signs telling us the time has come to take new directions.

Oftentimes, multiple nudges are required to reinforce the need for a change.

My first case of burnout happened five years ago during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown.

In twenty years of working multiple marketing roles in the professional services sector and pharmaceuticals, I had never hit the wall – until it happened.

Six weeks before lockdown started on March 13, 2020, I was asked to backfill for a global account manager on a $40 million account while she headed out for six months of paternity leave. This, of course, while still maintaining my role as a marketing strategist.

Pulling double duty shifted my workweek from 50 to 60 hours, and the lockdown meant both my kids, then ages 7 and 9, were stuck at home, attending school through Zoom.

After four months under what felt like round-the-clock pressure, I was anxious, constantly exhausted, frustrated, and regularly battling sleep deprivation.

Somewhere during the summer of 2020, my employer offered a chance for those who felt utterly drained to take an eight-week sabbatical if they had been employed with the company for over five years, and I leaped at the opportunity.

Those eight weeks rejuvenated me when utter exhaustion had brought me to the place where I’d begun to seriously consider the suggestion of a former colleague who admitted to me privately that she used Adderall XR when tax season hit, and 70- to 80-hour workweeks became the norm from January through April 15th.

Today, five years past that initial work crisis, and I still vividly remember how many of my colleagues were shocked by my return to work.

They knew I'd never come back.

The first nudge didn't sting enough to push me toward reinvention.

Once you've come to see yourself through a specific lens and define your personal identity in a certain way, it takes more than a nudge to trigger transformation, reinvention.

Ultimately, only the death of a friend of more than 30 years, one who over the years had shared his hidden dreams with me and mine with him, resulted in cutting one of the tight cords tethering me to my old life.

Why Belichick's Next Move Isn't About Money

Belichick’s buyout won’t dictate his departure. His decision will probably hinge on whether he believes the coaching staff he recruited can easily land jobs elsewhere. 

The real impact you’ll have on their lives far outweighs what happens with a $20 million buyout for a man sitting on plenty of riches. 

His relationships with them matter. For that reason alone, it behooves him to come back for at least one more season. 

However, should the university decide it wants to end this and cut ties? Belichick needs to embrace this as his final ending. 

Immediately decline the inevitable offers to return directly to media and television. 

This begins the hard work of discovery to determine what he really wants to do. It might take an entire year to hear the true calling, but it will come. ■