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Bill Belichick with Josh McDaniels.
Bill Belichick sent shockwaves through the football world with the news that he’s becoming the head coach at North Carolina. He’s arguably the greatest NFL coach ever so it was certainly a curveball that he decided to go to college.
It remains to be seen how long he plans to be at North Carolina, but for now, he’s putting together his coaching staff. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Belichick is targeting Las Vegas Raiders interim offensive coordinator Scott Turner for the same position.
Turner didn’t come into the season as an offensive coordinator but was promoted after the Raiders fired Luke Getsy. Prior to joining Las Vegas, he was the offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders for three seasons.
Turner has limited success with the Commanders and the Raiders have yet to score 20 or more points since he took over playcalling duties. He does have some experience on the college level as he worked as an offensive analyst at Michigan under Jim Harbaugh in 2017. Working under Belichick could be appealing for Turner, especially if the Raiders don’t plan to keep him in the offensive coordinator role next season. It may be his best chance at calling plays next season.
What About Josh McDaniels?
Many have expected that once Belichick got a head coaching job again, he would reunite with Josh McDaniels. The former New England Patriots offensive coordinator called plays for Belichick for over a decade and the two won six Super Bowls together.
McDaniels decided to leave Belichick to become the head coach of the Raiders in 2022 but that ended in disaster as he was fired before he finished a second season. He’s available right now so it’s odd that Belichick wouldn’t be pushing for him to be his offensive coordinator at North Carolina.
It could be because McDaniels would prefer to stay in the NFL. He only coached one season at the college level when he was a graduate assistant for Michigan State in 1999. He may also want to prove that he can be successful without working under Belichick. Mike Vrabel is likely to get a head coaching job this offseason and he worked with McDaniels for a longtime in New England. He could be waiting to see what Vrabel does as he would be a logical choice as his next offensive coordinator.
Any Chance Turner Retains Raiders OC Job?
The Raiders offense has moved the ball better since Turner took over playcalling. However, the team just isn’t scoring enough points. Considering he didn’t have much success the one time he was a full-time offensive coordinator in the NFL, it’s hard to imagine the Raiders will be eager to bring him back as a playcaller.
Las Vegas is likely to draft a quarterback and they really need a strong offensive coordinator to help develop him. Head coach Antonio Pierce may also be on his way out, which would essentially spell the end for Turner. If Belichick wants to give him the offensive coordinator job at North Carolina, Turner would be wise to consider it.
