Tag: Bill Belichick

Dec 28, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft waves prior to the game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Report: Patriots owner Robert Kraft not selected for Hall of Fame

Posted on | by Field Level Media

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft did not receive enough votes for selection to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, ESPN reported Tuesday.

Last week, ESPN also reported that former head coach Bill Belichick, who led the Patriots to nine Super Bowls and six championships over 24 seasons, also is not part of the Class of 2026 to be enshrined in Canton, Ohio, this summer.

The new Hall of Fame class will be revealed Thursday night at the NFL Honors ceremony in San Francisco.

Belichick and Kraft were among the five finalists competing in the same category — contributors, coaches and senior players who last played in 2000 or earlier. Kraft qualified as the contributor finalist and Belichick as the coach. Former players Roger Craig, Ken Anderson and L.C. Greenwood filled out the list of finalists.

To be selected, a finalist needs 40 of the 50 possible votes. If no one reaches that benchmark, the highest vote-getter becomes a Hall of Fame member.

Kraft and Belichick both were first-year finalists.

When news spread of Belichick’s failure to reach the voting minimum, Kraft was among those in the football community who expressed disbelief that Belichick was not selected.

“As head coach of the New England Patriots for more than two decades, he set the standard for on-field excellence, preparation, and sustained success in the free agency and salary cap era of the National Football League. He is the greatest coach of all time and he unequivocally deserves to be a unanimous first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer,” Kraft said in a statement.

Kraft, 84, purchased the team and its old stadium for $172 million on Jan. 31, 1994. His purchase kept the franchise from being sold and relocated.

Before his ownership, the team had been to the playoffs six times since its founding as the Boston Patriots of the American Football League in 1960. That includes their 46-10 drubbing by the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XX after an 11-5 regular season in 1985.

With Kraft and Belichick in charge, the Patriots won the Super Bowls following the 2001, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2016 and 2018 seasons.

Kraft’s investment in the Patriots was a wise one. In 2025, he sold 8% of the shares in the team for $720 million, giving the team a $9 billion valuation.

Kraft’s Patriots will appear in Super Bowl LX against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday in Santa Clara, Calif. A win would give New England a record seventh title, breaking a tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

–Field Level Media

Tom Brady on Bill Belichick’s Hall of Fame snub: ‘Completely ridiculous’

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Tom Brady labeled Bill Belichick’s snub from the Pro Football Hall of Fame as “completely ridiculous” on Wednesday.

Brady obviously knows a thing or two about his long-time former head coach with the New England Patriots. The three-time NFL MVP shared his thoughts on the voting committee’s decision against embracing Belichick on his first year on the ballot.

“I don’t understand it,” Brady said Wednesday during an interview with Seattle Sports 710 AM. “I mean, I was with him everyday. If he’s not a first-ballot Hall of Famer, there’s really no coach that should ever be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, which is completely ridiculous because people deserve it.

“He’s incredible. There’s no coach I’d rather play for. If I’m picking one coach to go out there to win a Super Bowl — give me one season — I’m taking Bill Belichick. So that’s enough said.”

The proof is in the pudding for Belichick, whose six Super Bowl victories as a head coach are the most in NFL history. He went 266-121 (.687) in his 24 seasons leading the Patriots, with an undefeated regular season in 2007. He also won two Super Bowls as defensive coordinator of the New York Giants.

Per ESPN, Belichick was informed Friday that he did not reach the threshold of 40 out of 50 votes from the Hall of Fame’s selection committee.

“When it comes down to votes and popularity and all that, then welcome to the world of voting,” said Brady, who will become eligible for Hall of Fame induction in 2028.

“You might as well try out for the Oscars and get a big panel to tell you if you’re good or not. It’s the way that it works unfortunately. He’s gonna get into the Hall of Fame. In the end, I’m not worried about that.”

Belichick was a three-time NFL Coach of the Year and named to the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team in 2019. With 302 regular-season wins as head coach of the Cleveland Browns (1991-95) and Patriots, he ranks third in league history behind Don Shula and George Halas.

The Patriots went 29-38 in Belichick’s last four years in New England once Brady left for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he won one Super Bowl without Belichick. More recently, Belichick became a college coach for the first time at North Carolina, but his first season was a disastrous 4-8 affair.

“A lot of times in life for all of us, things don’t happen exactly how you want them or on your timeline,” Brady said of Belichick’s eventual induction into the Hall of Fame. “But we’ll all be there to celebrate him when it does happen, and he’s gonna have a huge turnout from so many players, coaches that appreciated everything he did, the commitment he made to winning and the impact that he had on all our lives.”

–Field Level Media

Reports: Bill Belichick fails to make Pro Football HOF on first ballot

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Bill Belichick will not make the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot, ESPN and The Athletic reported Tuesday.

The stunning report comes a week before the Class of 2026 inductees are announced during the “NFL Honors” broadcast on Feb. 5.

Belichick’s six Super Bowl victories as a head coach are the most in NFL history. He went 266-121 (.687) in his 24 seasons leading the New England Patriots, with an undefeated regular season in 2007. He also won two Super Bowls as defensive coordinator of the New York Giants.

Per ESPN, Belichick was informed Friday that he did not reach the threshold of 40 out of 50 votes from the Hall of Fame’s selection committee.

Earlier in the process, the hall’s Coach Blue-Ribbon Committee chose Belichick as its sole coach finalist for consideration by the full selection committee. Other coaches on that list included Tom Coughlin, Mike Holmgren, Marty Schottenheimer and Mike Shanahan.

A different committee selected Patriots owner Robert Kraft as the finalist from the contributor category.

According to ESPN’s report, selection committee member and former Indianapolis Colts general manager Bill Polian told some voters he believed Belichick should “wait a year” before induction as a form of reparation for the Spygate and Deflategate scandals during the Belichick-Tom Brady dynasty years.

Belichick, Polian and the Hall of Fame did not provide comment.

Belichick was a three-time NFL Coach of the Year and named to the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team in 2019. With 302 wins as head coach of the Cleveland Browns (1991-95) and Patriots, he ranks third in league history behind Don Shula and George Halas.

The Patriots went 29-38 in Belichick’s last four years in New England once Brady left for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he won one Super Bowl without Belichick. More recently, Belichick became a college coach for the first time at North Carolina, but his first season was a disastrous 4-8 affair.

–Field Level Media

OC Bobby Petrino officially hired at North Carolina

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North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick made the hiring of veteran coach Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator official on Friday.

News began to spread before Christmas that Petrino was headed for Chapel Hill, where he will be charged with revamping an offense that averaged only 19.3 points and 288.8 yards of total offense per game. Their scoring average was 16th in the 17-team Atlantic Coast Conference, and the Tar Heels finished last in total offense.

Belichick fired offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens after North Carolina finished 4-8 (2-6) in 2025.

“I’m extremely excited to join Coach Belichick and the Carolina football program,” Petrino, 64, said Friday in a school news release. “This is an incredible opportunity to work with one of the best at a storied institution. I cannot wait to get started in Chapel Hill alongside this coaching staff and student-athletes.”

Belichick cited Petrino’s “proven record” in announcing the addition.

“We are fortunate to add an elite coaching talent in Bobby to our staff,” Belichick said. “He brings an extensive background and a proven record of success on offense at every level of football. Bobby has consistently built great offenses everywhere he has been, and we look forward to having him work with our program.”

Petrino held numerous college and NFL roles before serving as the Louisville head coach in 2003-06.

After resigning from the Atlanta Falcons 13 games into his lone season coaching them in 2007, Petrino served as the head coach at Arkansas (2008-11), Western Kentucky (2013), Louisville again (2014-18) and Missouri State (2020-22). He had an unceremonious departure from Arkansas after a motorcycle accident and an inappropriate relationship with an assistant.

That did not stop Arkansas from bringing him back as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach ahead of the 2024 season. When the Razorbacks fired head coach Sam Pittman on Sept. 28, 2025, Petrino became the interim coach and was considered a candidate for the full-time job.

Petrino has an overall record of 119-63 as a head coach.

Arkansas instead hired away Ryan Silverfield from Memphis and did not retain Petrino, who lost all seven games he coached.

Still, the problem at Arkansas was not its offense. The Razorbacks were 15th in the nation in total offense (454.8 yards) and 23rd in scoring offense (32.9 points).

–Field Level Media

Reports: Bobby Petrino to become Bill Belichick’s OC at UNC

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Bobby Petrino is expected to join Bill Belichick’s staff and become the next offensive coordinator at North Carolina, several reports said Monday.

The longtime college and NFL head coach will try to help Belichick turn around a program that went 4-8 in its first season under the six-time Super Bowl champion’s watch.

The veteran coaches have yet to work together, as Petrino held numerous college and NFL roles before becoming the Louisville head coach in 2003-06.

After resigning from the Atlanta Falcons 13 games into his lone season coaching them in 2007, Petrino served as the head coach at Arkansas (2008-11), Western Kentucky (2013), Louisville again (2014-18) and Missouri State (2020-22). He had an unceremonious departure from Arkansas after a motorcycle accident and an inappropriate relationship with an assistant.

That did not stop Arkansas from bringing him back as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach ahead of the 2024 season. When the Razorbacks fired head coach Sam Pittman on Sept. 28, 2025, Petrino became the interim coach and was considered a candidate for the full-time job.

Arkansas instead hired away Ryan Silverfield from Memphis and did not retain Petrino, who lost all seven games he coached this season.

Belichick fired his offensive and special teams coordinators after the Tar Heels’ challenging season.

OC Freddie Kitchens — himself a former head coach for the Cleveland Browns — was dismissed after the Tar Heels averaged a mere 19.3 points per game, ranking 119th in FBS. North Carolina scored more than 27 in a game only once.

–Field Level Media

Bill Belichick makes staff changes at UNC after 4-8 season

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Bill Belichick is making changes to his staff at North Carolina, dismissing offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens and special teams coordinator Mike Priefer.

The moves come after the Tar Heels finished 4-8 (2-6 Atlantic Coast Conference) in the 2025 season, Belichick’s first at Chapel Hill.

“We want to thank Coach Kitchens and Coach Priefer for their commitment and many contributions to our program and student-athletes,” Belichick said in a news release issued Friday morning. “We wish them both nothing but the best in their future endeavors.”

Kitchens, a former head coach of the Cleveland Browns, was hired as the run game coordinator and tight ends coach at North Carolina in 2023. Belichick retained Kitchens from the staff of former coach Mack Brown and promoted him to offensive coordinator, in part because of his extensive NFL experience.

The Tar Heels ranked 119th out of 136 FBS teams in average points per game (19.2), 107th in passing yards (183.5) and 122nd in rushing yards (105.2).

Priefer, 59, began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Navy in 1994. He moved to the NFL in 2022, and worked as either special teams coordinator or assistant coordinator with six franchises before joining Belichick’s inaugural staff.

He was the special teams coordinator under Kitchens with the Browns in 2019. Kitchens, 51, was fired after a 6-10 season.

–Field Level Media

Bill Belichick says focus on North Carolina’s next game, not Giants opening

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North Carolina coach Bill Belichick is looking west to the next game against Wake Forest and not well north at the vacant job with the New York Giants, he said on Tuesday.

The former longtime NFL coach, with six Super Bowl championships with the New England Patriots, has a coaching history with the Giants, who fired Brian Daboll on Monday.

Belichick, 73, is in his first season as a college coach with the Tar Heels, who play Saturday against the Demon Deacons in Winston-Salem, N.C. North Carolina is 4-5, 2-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference after two consecutive victories over Syracuse and Stanford.

“Getting ready for Wake Forest, that’s all I got this week,” Belichick said at his Tuesday press conference in Chapel Hill, N.C.

While speculation has come from outside the program, Belichick was asked if players and recruits have brought up his possible return to the NFL and New York.

“I’ve been asked about it from time to time,” Belichick said. “Look, I’ve been down this road before. I’m focused on Wake Forest, that’s it. That’s my commitment to this team. This week it’s Wake Forest, next week it’s that opponent and so forth. I’m here to do the best for this team.”

Sportsbooks have Belichick with longer odds than Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, a former NFL head coach who coached Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart last season in Oxford, Miss. Kiffin, who coached the Raiders from 2007-08, also has been suggested for various prominent openings at the college level.

Belichick might have motivation to return to the NFL to add to his legacy. Only Don Shula (328-156-6) and George Halas (318-148-31) have more regular-season wins in NFL history than Belichick, who was 302-165 in 29 seasons with the Cleveland Browns (1991-95) and Patriots (2000-2023). He has the most career playoff wins (31-13 record) in collecting Super Bowl titles with the Patriots in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2016 and 2018.

He was a defensive assistant and special teams coach with the Giants in 1979-84 before taking over as defensive coordinator from 1985-90 — winning Super Bowls in the 1986 and 1990 seasons under head coach Bill Parcells. Belichick also was assistant head coach/defensive coordinator of the New York Jets from 1997-99.

–Field Level Media

Bill Belichick among 9 coach semifinalists for Hall of Fame

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Six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach Bill Belichick is among nine coaches still in the running for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026.

The nine semifinalists announced Wednesday are Belichick, Tom Coughlin, Mike Holmgren, Chuck Knox, Buddy Parker, Dan Reeves, Marty Schottenheimer, George Seifert and Mike Shanahan.

The Coach Blue-Ribbon Committee initially narrowed the list from 15 nominees to 12 in late October. The committee will meet virtually in mid-November to select one finalist for the Class of 2026, to be enshrined in August in Canton, Ohio.

Coaches previously had to be retired for at least five years before becoming eligible, but the Hall of Fame announced in August 2024 the rule was changed to one year.

Belichick, who parted ways with the New England Patriots in January 2024, was not eligible for the 2025 class because the selection process already had begun.

Only Don Shula (328-156-6) and George Halas (318-148-31) have more regular-season wins in NFL history than Belichick, who was 302-165 in 29 seasons with the Cleveland Browns (1991-95) and Patriots (2000-23). He has the most career playoff wins (31-13 record) in collecting Super Bowl titles with the Patriots in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2016 and 2018.

Belichick, 73, currently is the head coach at the University of North Carolina.

Six of the nine coaches in the semifinals won at least one Super Bowl or NFL title game: Coughlin (2007, 2011), Holmgren (1996), Seifert (1989, 1994), Shanahan (1997, 1998) and Parker (league championships in 1952, 1953).

Holmgren was the finalist for the Class of 2025, Parker in 2020 and 2024, and Reeves in 2020.

Voting for modern-era players, seniors and contributors also is taking place, with 20 finalists eventually submitted for the selection committee’s annual meeting in advance of the Super Bowl.

The selection committee will vote on 15 modern-era players, three seniors, one coach and one contributor, but no set number is required to be enshrined — only a range of four to eight to be selected.

–Field Level Media

Sep 13, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick on the sidelines in the second quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Bill Belichick says ‘no truth’ to report he wants out at UNC

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After releasing a statement last week saying he is committed to continuing as North Carolina’s head coach, Bill Belichick reiterated the sentiment during his press availability Monday.

A report from the Guardian last week said that Belichick, 73, expressed potential interest in finding a coaching or media job that could offset the $1 million buyout he would owe North Carolina if he leaves for another job.

“That’s just categorically false,” Belichick told reporters in the team’s first media availability following a bye last week. “There’s no truth to that. I’m glad I’m here.”

His words Monday echoed his statement Wednesday.

“I’m fully committed to UNC Football and the program we are building here,” read a statement on the Tar Heels’ X account from Belichick.

Athletic director Bubba Cunningham added in a statement on the same social media post: “Coach Belichick has the full support of the Department of Athletics and University.”

Belichick’s first season coaching college football after winning eight Super Bowls (six as a head coach, two as a defensive coordinator) has been less than ideal.

The Tar Heels fell to 2-3 after a 38-10 home loss to Clemson on Oct. 4. North Carolina has lost all three of its games against Power 4 competition by a combined margin of 120-33. They are 0-1 in Atlantic Coast Conference play.

The team will travel to the West Coast this week to face Cal 4-1 (1-1 ACC) on Saturday at Berkeley, Calif.

–Field Level Media

Oct 28, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a North Carolina Tar Heels helmet on the field before a game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Report: UNC assistant Armond Hawkins suspended for illegal benefits

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North Carolina cornerbacks coach Armond Hawkins has been suspended for illegal benefits, according to a report by the Athletic.

Hawkins reportedly provided sideline passes for a North Carolina football game to a player’s family members, which is an NCAA rule violation.

Hawkins is in his first season as an on-field coach in college football. He came to Chapel Hill with North Carolina defensive coordinator Steve Belichick, who was previously defensive coordinator for the Washington Huskies.

Hawkins has previously worked as a director of high school relations at USC (2020-21), assistant recruiting coordinator at Colorado (2022), assistant director of recruiting/defensive analyst at Arizona (2023) and defensive analyst at Washington (2024).

The report did not indicate if a length for the suspension has been assessed or if it’s an indefinite suspension.

This is the latest misstep in what has been a snafu-laden debut season of NFL legend Bill Belichick’s first season leading the Tar Heels, who fell to 2-3 after Saturday’s 38-10 home loss to Clemson. North Carolina has lost its three games against Power Four competition by a combined score of 120-33.

On Monday, it was reported that Bill Belichick was not allowing staff members to share anything related to the New England Patriots, with whom he won six Super Bowls before a sour 2023 ending, on social media.

That meant that North Carolina’s social media accounts did not share anything about former QB Drake Maye’s stellar Sunday Night Football performance until after this was reported.

Belichick has also admitted publicly that Patriots scouts are not permitted to attend Tar Heel practices to scout his players.

North Carolina has a bye this weekend before it plays at Cal on Oct. 17.

–Field Level Media