FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – After more than two decades and six Super Bowl titles, the New England Patriots are parting ways with head coach Bill Belichick. Belichick’s six Super Bowl titles are the most won by a single head coach in NFL history and tied for the most by a single franchise.
The Patriots finished the year with a 4-13 record, their worst under Belichick’s tenure as head coach, which began in 2000. Although the Patriots have not officially confirmed the split, Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Belichick will address the team at noon.
Sources have indicated that Jerod Mayo, the Patriots’ linebackers coach, is the leading candidate to take over as head coach. Belichick, who had a record of 296-133 in 24 seasons as New England’s head coach, leaves behind a remarkable legacy. Including his five seasons as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, Belichick has a total record of 333-178.
Belichick’s 31 postseason wins, all but one of which came with the Patriots, are the most by any head coach in NFL history. He is also only the third coach to have won 300 or more regular-season games, trailing only Don Shula and George Halas.
Since the departure of legendary quarterback Tom Brady in 2020, the Patriots have struggled under Belichick, with a 29-38 record and three losing seasons. Brady won his seventh Super Bowl title with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in his first season after leaving the Patriots.
In recent years, Belichick faced criticism for his handling of the quarterback position following Brady’s departure. The Patriots signed Cam Newton in 2020, but the team finished 7-9 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008. The pandemic also heavily impacted the season.
This year, the Patriots used their first-round draft pick on quarterback Mac Jones. He led the team to a 10-7 record and a playoff berth, but the Patriots were eliminated in the wild-card round. The offense struggled under the leadership of Matt Patricia and Joe Judge, which resulted in an 8-9 record in 2022.
In January, Belichick re-hired Bill O’Brien as the team’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. However, Jones continued to struggle in his third NFL season, leading to his benching in favor of Bailey Zappe.
Under Belichick’s leadership, the Patriots enjoyed tremendous success, winning 20 seasons, 17 division titles, and reaching 13 conference championship games. They also had a perfect 16-0 regular season in 2007, but fell short in the Super Bowl.
Before Belichick’s arrival, the Patriots had limited success in the postseason. Belichick’s departure marks the end of an era for the Patriots and leaves behind an impressive legacy.