Looking at the Head Coach’s Patriots Career

In the modern NFL, the New England Patriots were the dominant force. With Bill Belichick at the helm and Tom Brady under center, the AFC East club towered over the competition. It felt like every postseason, the Pats were in the mix and chasing another Lombardi Trophy. They were the metaphorical big brother, keeping everyone else at arm’s length; even if someone else briefly claimed the top spot, you knew New England would be back.

But in sports, as in life, nothing remains constant forever. Brady left Foxborough to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and subsequently retired. And now Belichick seems to be on his way out, too. Rumors were swirling about his job security after a tough season, and, on Thursday morning, Adam Schefter and Mike Reiss reported that the coach is expected to part ways with his long-time employer. Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero shared a similar report, and the Patriots tweeted that owner Robert Kraft and Belichick will meet with the media this afternoon.

Numbers can’t always tell the whole story; there’s so much humanity in sports that can’t be reduced to wins and losses. In this case, though, the stats are just so eye-popping that we can’t overlook that side of Belichick’s narrative.

Let’s break them down.

How Many Games Has Bill Belichick Won?

There’s a long-standing football quote that says, “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” That outlook is probably a bit reductionist, but it does touch on a fundamental reality of coaching. Earning the “W” is ultimately a necessity.

Belichick had that part of the task covered.

Through the end of the 2023 NFL campaign, he led his team to 302 regular-season wins, which is the third-most all-time. Thirty-six of those came with the Cleveland Browns, but an incredible 266 came with the Patriots. And as you might expect from the sheer scale of victories, Belichick is comfortably over .500 for his coaching career. He was 36-44 with the Browns, but more than compensated by going 266-121 in Foxborough; that totals up to a 302-165 record or a .647 winning percentage.

But that’s not all. There are also playoff wins to consider.

Belichick went 1-1 in the postseason with the Browns, but that’s only the prologue to his story. As the Pats’ bench boss, he went an incredibly 30-12 in the playoffs.

And that wasn’t the entirety of the success.

8 Super Bowl Rings and 6 with the Patriots

Wins are important, but claiming a championship is what elevates a player or coach to legendary status. Belichick, as you might expect, also has things covered there.

During his time on the sidelines, he’s lifted the Lombardi Trophy eight times. Two of those rings came as a member of the New York Giants staff, but six came when he was calling the shots in New England.

Even if you only care about the head-coaching wins, Belichick looms large. His closest competition for Super Bowl titles as head coach is Chuck Noll, who made it to four; among active coaches, Andy Reid sits in second place with two rings.

9 Trips to the Big Game and 17 Division Titles

While going to the Super Bowl and losing might not be a fun experience, it still speaks to a level of success. Unsurprisingly, Belichick stands tall there, too.

During his time as a head coach, his Patriots reached the Big Game on nine occasions. Three of them ended in defeat, but there’s still something to be said for being the second-best team around.

And, on a slightly smaller scale, New England earned those trips to the Super Bowl by dominating their division. The club claimed an incredible 17 AFC East titles under Belichick, with 11 coming in an unbroken streak.

How Long Did Belichick Coach the Patriots?

If you want job security, being an NFL head coach probably isn’t for you. As the old cliche says, it’s tough to fire the entire roster, so the bench boss usually ends up paying the price for failures.

Bill Belichick, however, just kept winning, and that kept him employed.

The head coach joined the Patriots ahead of the 2000 campaign and just completed his 24th season at the helm. That’s an incredible achievement and speaks to both his individual success—he was so good that he couldn’t be removed—and loyalty to the franchise.

Twenty-four seasons with New England puts Belichick tied for fourth in the NFL’s all-time single-team coaching tenure list. He’s tied with Steve Owen and only trails Don Shula, Curly Lambeau and Tom Landry. The fact that he’s standing alongside 1) legends and 2) coaches from bygone eras, highlights just what the Patriots bench boss accomplished.

Again, he was so successful that he threw things back to when one man dominated an organization for decades. And you couldn’t really argue with the results.

1 Iconic Piece of Clothing

While it may seem silly to talk about wins, Super Bowl successes, and all sorts of other accolades, then end on a piece of clothing, hear me out. Bill Belichick’s hoodie also speaks to his success.

At the risk of painting with a broad brush, head coaches aren’t really supposed to be part of the show. Sure, we love them when they win and call for their heads when they lose, but they’re secondary behind the players. People want to wear the star quarterback’s jersey, not the coach’s headset.

But Belichick and his hoodie were an exception. The actual garment changed over the years; there was a gray one, a blue one and a crew neck and the coach experimented with different cuts and tears over the years. (He also donned jackets and the occasional pullover, but those can be overlooked.) It was a signature look, like a less-stylish version of Tom Landry’s hat.

And the fact that he had a signature look sums up everything we’ve said about Belichick. He was in the job for so long and, more importantly, so successful, that we all knew him. He was a fixture on TV and transcended football fandom. Even if you weren’t a fan, you had probably heard about him.

No matter which number you lean on, though, there’s no arguing with Belichick’s success.