A Look at the NFL Head Coaches Who Backed Out of New Gigs

Josh McDaniels is the most recent coach to have a change of heart.

head coaches
Head coach Bill Belichick of the New York Jets resigns from the job at a press conference just one day after accepting the position at Hempstead, New York on January 4, 2000. (Al Pereira/Getty Images)

Josh McDaniels agree to terms to become the Indianapolis Colts’ next head coach. But then, the Patriots offensive coordinator had a change of heart, and decided to stay with New England. He is far from the first coach, in football or other sports, to change their mind after agreeing to a coaching job. In fact, Bill Belichick, Patriots head coach, resigned as the New York Jets head coach on Jan. 4, 2000, just 24 hours after he was hired to replace Bill Parcells. Belichick accepted the job as Patriots head coach three weeks later. Parcells also spurned two teams. He jilted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after he was expected to become their head coach in 1991 and again in 2002. In 1999, the Chicago Bears called a media conference to announce the hiring of Dave McGinnis as head coach. But McGinnis had never officially accepted the position, and was furious. He turned down the offer. He went on to become head coach of the Arizona Cardinals for three years.

As for basketball coaches, Creighton basketball head coach Dana Altman accepted an opening in Arkansas, but changed his mind and returned a day later. Texas Tech’s Chris Beard left UNLV three weeks after taking the job.

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