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Bill Belichick, the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach and two-time champion assistant, reportedly missed out on being a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
The finalized list of Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees will be released ahead of Super Bowl LX. Belichick was among the candidates in a separate group from the modern-era players category along with Ken Anderson, Roger Craig, L.C. Greenwood and Robert Kraft.
ESPN first reported that Belichick would not be going into the Hall of Fame this time around. The outlet reported, citing sources, that Belichick was “puzzled” and “disappointed” with the decision and that he wondered what more he had to do as a head coach to get in immediately.
“Politics kept him out. He doesn’t believe this is a reflection on his accomplishments,” another source told ESPN.
Former NFL players and fans were just as bewildered as the unnamed sources who talked to the outlet.
“I can’t be reading this right,” former Houston Texans star J.J. Watt wrote on X. “This has to be some knock-off Hall of Fame or something, it can’t be the actual NFL Hall of Fame. There is not a single world whatsoever in which Bill Belichick should not be a First-Ballot Hall of Famer.”
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Pat McAfee added, “Bill Belichick is officially not a first ballot Pro Football Hall Of Famer. Bill Belichick … Bill Belichick could be in (the GOAT) conversations for Coach AND GM and he isn’t a first ballot Hall Of Famer in the PRO FOOTBALL Hall Of Fame.”
More also chimed in.
Belichick, who is currently the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels, was 302-165 in his career as a head coach between the Patriots and the Cleveland Browns. He won six titles with Tom Brady as the head coach of the Patriots before he mutually parted ways with the franchise after the 2023 season.
He served as a defensive assistant under Bill Parcells with the New York Giants from 1979-1991. The team won two Super Bowls in that time.
He had a controversial end with both the Browns and the New York Jets. The Browns moved to Baltimore and became the Ravens under the cover of darkness, essentially leaving the entirety of the franchise in the city. As he was set to take the Jets’ head coaching job, he pulled out at the last minute and decided to take the New England gig instead.
Belichick’s Patriots’ career wasn’t exactly sunshine and rainbows either. He was caught up in the Spygate and Deflategate scandals during his time. ESPN reported that the cheating scandals played a role in some voters’ decision on Belichick’s candidacy.
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Belichick’s coaching tree appeared to be as strong as ever. The Patriots will return to the Super Bowl with Mike Vrabel at the helm. Vrabel won three titles under Belichick. Josh McDaniels, another Belichick staff member, is also serving as the team’s offensive coordinator.
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