What is the story

He wrote on a piece of paper. “I resign as HC of NYJ,” on a piece of paper just before his introductory press conference. It came as a shock to everybody.

New England Patriots (1996)

After leaving Cleveland, Belichick served under Parcells again as assistant head coach and defensive backs coach with the Patriots for the 1996 season. The Patriots finished with an 11-5 record, won the AFC championship, but lost to the Green Bay Packers at Super Bowl XXXI.

New York Jets

Soon after Super Bowl XXXI, Belichick (and most of the Patriots assistant coaches) migrated with Parcells to the New York Jets. Belichick served as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator for the Jets from 1997 to 1999. When Parcells stepped down as head coach in 1999, he had already arranged with team management to have Belichick succeed him. However, Belichick would be the New York Jets’ head coach for only one day. When Belichick was introduced as head coach to the media—the day after his hiring was publicized—he turned it into a surprise-resignation announcement. Before taking the podium, he scrawled a resignation note on a sheet of loose leaf paper that read, in its entirety, “I resign as HC of the NYJ.” He then delivered a half-hour speech explaining his resignation to the assembled press corps.9

Soon after this bizarre turn of events, he was introduced as the New England Patriots’ new head coach; the team had tried to hire him away from Parcells/the Jets in the past. Parcells and the Jets claimed that Belichick was still under contract to the Jets, and demanded compensation from the Patriots. NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue agreed, and the Patriots gave the Jets a first-round draft pick in 2000 in exchange for the right to hire Belichick.10

New England Patriots

Bill Belichick was named New England Patriots head coach in 2000, succeeding Pete Carroll.

the Jets HC situation in 2000 got flipped turned upside down.

When Belicheck was hired by Hess, they made him the HC and Parcells was hired as a consultant. Kraft balked and argued that Parcells was the de fact HC while still under contract as the same with NE. Jets sent compensation up there and hired Parcells as the HC, demoting Belicheck but with a clause that he would eventually succeed Parcells.

When Hess passed away, and Woddy bought the team, it seems Kraft had been luring Belicheck. So Parcells stepped down enacting the clause that made Belicheck the HC thereby securing the Jets compensation for the lateral move.

Belicheck stated that any deal he had with Hess died with Hess. He also said he was unsure of the direction of the organization, etc, etc. But in all the time he spent with the Jets, he never sold his NE home, so it seems he may also have had an understanding with Kraft all along.

It is an unbelievable story, as unbelievable as Brady being a sixth round draft pick.