Bill Belichick leaves Patriots after 24 years. Will six-time Super Bowl champ coach again?
Bill Belichick has agreed to part ways with the New England Patriots after a 24-year tenure during which the head coach and longtime quarterback Tom Brady led the franchise to six Super Bowl wins in nine appearances.
Belichick addressed reporters Thursday while standing next to Patriots owner Robert Kraft, the man with whom Belichick shaped the greatest dynasty in NFL history.
“We had a vision of building a championship football team that has exceeded my wildest dreams and expectations,” Belichick said. “I’m very proud of that. I’ll always have those great memories, will carry those with me the rest of my life.”
Kraft said he and the 71-year-old Belichick “mutually agreed” on the split, which the owner said is “needed at this time.” The Patriots finished 4-13 this season, the worst record of Belichick’s 29-year head coaching career.
In New England, Belichick went 296-133 overall (including playoffs) and led the team to 17 AFC East titles.
“I’m very proud that our partnership lasted for 24 years,” said Kraft, who is expected to address reporters again later Thursday. “Bill has taught me a lot over those years, and we had high expectations for what we could achieve together. I think we were the only ones who had those expectations, and I think it’s safe to say we exceeded them.”
New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick was asked three times in 37 seconds about his job status. His answer each time was short and predictably off topic.
Including his five seasons with the Cleveland Browns, Belichick is 333-178 as a head coach (including playoffs) and is 15 wins away from breaking Don Shula’s all-time record for wins. Belichick, Shula and George Halas are the only NFL coaches to have reached 300 or more regular-season wins.
After Belichick and the Patriots enjoyed unprecedented success for two decades with Brady calling the signals, their fortunes changed when the now-retired quarterback left for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after the 2019 season, making the playoffs just once in four seasons without a postseason victory.
Belichick and the Patriots have been unable to find a franchise quarterback following Brady’s departure. They gave veteran Cam Newton a shot in 2020, then used a first-round pick on former Alabama quarterback Mac Jones the next offseason.
Jones showed promise his first season but has regressed in each of the last two seasons. He was benched in favor of Bailey Zappe down the stretch in 2023 and may have played his last game with the Patriots.
The Belichick-Patriots split comes a day after news broke about two other legendary football coaches leaving their posts — Pete Carroll with the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL and Nick Saban with Alabama in the NCAA. Carroll and Saban are 72.
Despite a basketball background as a UCLA player and general manager with the Warriors, Bob Myers is hired by the Commanders as an adviser. He will help Washington search for a new coach after Ron Rivera was fired.
It is unknown at this point what Belichick’s next move will be. If he wishes to remain in the NFL, Belichick would appear to have plenty of options, with the Chargers, Washington Commanders, Las Vegas Raiders, Carolina Panthers, Tennessee Titans, Atlanta Falcons and the Seahawks all in the market for a new head coach.
“It’ll be difficult to see him in a cutoff hoodie on [another] sideline, but I’ll always wish him continued success,” Kraft said, “except when it’s against the beloved Patriots.”
Belichick said: “I’ll always be a Patriot. I look forward to coming back here. But at this time, we’re going to move on. And I look forward, excited for the future.”
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