The New England Patriots have enjoyed immense success over the past 20 years, thanks in large part to head coach Bill Belichick. With him at the helm as the team's head coach, the Patriots have won six Super Bowls and have essentially been a playoff team in just about every season. However, as Belichick will retire at some point, it appears the heir apparent to Bill might already be on the New England staff, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe.  

Per Volin, Matt Patricia is the coach rumored to be the next in line whenever Belichick decides to hang it up. In all honesty, this is a bit of a surprise, especially considering Patricia's tenure as the head coach for the Detroit Lions. He didn't find any success, finishing with a record of 13-29-1 in three seasons with Detroit before being ousted. 

While it might not entirely be Patricia's fault, nobody wanted to offer him a job. Instead, Patricia decided to go back with the Patriots and join Belichick as an assistant. 

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After all, Josh McDaniels has been rumored as the likely candidate for the past few seasons, especially after returning to New England after a failed head coaching attempt. Perhaps Patricia can revitalize his career in his return to New England and become the next headman for the Patriots, which would be a huge honor after the incredible success Belichick has had.

However, the move would come as a surprise, and maybe starting from scratch would be a better option. All in all, Belichick probably doesn't hang it up for some time.