Bill Belichick reportedly sitting for second Falcons head-coaching interview

Former Patriots coach Bill Belichick will sit for a second head-coaching interview with the Falcons this weekend, according to the NFL Network.

Belichick, 71, reportedly met with Atlanta owner Arthur Blank one-on-one earlier this week. Belichick is the only candidate among the seven the Falcons have interviewed to earn a second meeting. He is expected to soon meet with a contingent including general manager Terry Fontenot and CEO Rich McKay.

Atlanta is the only franchise with a head-coaching vacancy known to have interest in Belichick, who parted with the Patriots last week after a legendary 24-year run. Under his leadership, the Patriots enjoyed unprecedented success highlighted by six Super Bowl titles. Owner Robert Kraft introduced Jerod Mayo as Belichick’s successor during a press conference Wednesday afternoon.

The Falcons fired ex-coach Arthur Smith last week after three consecutive 7-10 seasons. The other coaches who have interviewed to replace him include Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and Ravens defensive coordinator Mike MacDonald among others.

Unless the Falcons hold an in-person interview with an external, minority candidate not currently employed by an NFL team in the coming days, the earliest they can hire Belichick is Monday, Jan. 22. Franchises with head-coaching vacancies must interview at least two external minority candidates during their searches and hold one in-person interview, per league rules. In-person interviews with coaches employed by NFL teams cannot be held until Jan. 22, and thus far, Belichick and Harbaugh are Atlanta’s only candidates not currently working in the league.

If Belichick is hired, it’s expected he will recruit assistant coaches from a candidate pool that Mayo will also be targeting. Most Patriots assistants have been on vacation the past two weeks and are due to report back to Foxboro on Monday. According to reports, Mayo has already initiated coaching searches for his next defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator.