North Carolina coach Bill Belichick deflected questions about potential interest in the vacant New York Giants head coaching position during his Tuesday news conference. The six-time Super Bowl champion said his focus remains entirely on preparing the Tar Heels for their upcoming game against Wake Forest.
When asked about his message to the team amid speculation following the Giants\' firing of Brian Daboll on Monday, Belichick kept his response brief. \"Getting ready for Wake Forest, that\'s all I got this week,\" he said.
Belichick acknowledged that players and recruits have asked about the speculation linking him to the Giants job. He emphasized his commitment to North Carolina extends beyond the current week.
\"Look I\'ve been down this road before. I\'m focused on Wake Forest, that\'s it. That\'s my commitment to this team,\" Belichick said. \"This week it\'s Wake Forest, next week it\'s that opponent and so forth. I\'m here to do the best for this team.\"
The 72-year-old coach is in his first season at North Carolina, which has won two consecutive games to improve to 4-5. Belichick spent his entire career in the NFL before transitioning to college coaching this year.
Belichick won two Super Bowls with the Giants as defensive coordinator under Bill Parcells in the 1986 and 1990 seasons. He frequently references Giants Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor, who played at North Carolina and attended the Tar Heels\' season opener against TCU.
The Giants fired Daboll after a disappointing start to the season. General manager Joe Schoen remains with the organization as New York begins its coaching search.
