Bill Belichick Leaves the Patriots After 24 Seasons

Bill Belichick and New England Patriots Owner, Robert Kraft, announced that Belichick will no longer serve as the Patriots coach after an extraordinary twenty-four seasons. Belichick and Kraft have had several meetings leading up to the announcement, discussing how they wanted to proceed with this ending of an era in New England. During the press conference where Kraft and Belichick announced they would be parting ways, Kraft called Belichick the greatest coach of all time.

Belichick had exactly one year remaining on his contract and the Patriots gave him the courtesy of leaving without seeking compensation for voiding his contract early. He is believed to still want to be in a coaching role, and he has attracted tons of interest from various franchises; one of the most likely landing spots for him right now is the Atlanta Falcons head-coaching job. 

The Patriots are now going to embark on a head coaching search for the first time in a quarter of a century. Patriots linebacker coach, Jerod Mayo has taken the head coaching position for the Patriots. Mayo played for the Patriots from 2008 - 2015 and has been an assistant coach under Belichick since 2019. Mayo is a perfect successor for Belichick because he has been with him and the team for so many years. He has seen the highs and lows of Belichick's career, so it will be interesting to see if he will be able to put the pieces of the puzzle together. 

Kraft considered trading Belichick, and the Patriots most likely would have been able to land a sizeable trade package in return for the six-time Super Bowl-winning coach. Kraft said he “didn’t think it was right” to turn Belichick’s departure into a transaction. He didn’t want another Tom Brady situation on his hands and desired a peaceful exit for Belichick. 

Tom Brady had this to say about Belichick and the Patriots dynasty: "We accomplished some amazing things over a long period of time, many of which will be hard to replicate. He worked every day to help us achieve the ultimate goal, in the ultimate team sport. ... I could never have been the player I was without you Coach Belichick. I am forever grateful. And I wish you the best of luck in whatever you choose next."

Belichick's somewhat expected departure from New England came within 24 hours of his close friend and Alabama coaching legend, Nick Saban's retirement. There is a profound symmetry and similarity when it comes to both of these legends' departures. These two men are widely considered the greatest coaches in college football and NFL history. Saban led Alabama to nine SEC titles and six national championships while Belichick helped lead New England to nine total Super Bowl appearances and six titles. 

On top of all of that, Saban replaced Pete Carrol as Ohio State’s secondary coach in the year 1980. At this time Belichick was on the coaching staff for the Cleveland Browns, he worked with Saban from 1991 to 1994, and Belichick replaced Carrol as the head coach of the Patriots in 2000. All three of these coaches either retired or parted ways with their current team in the span of 24 hours. 

It deeply saddens all of New England to see Belichick departing, but it wasn’t a surprise, because Kraft emphasized how important it was to make the playoffs this season. Instead, the Patriots were one of the first teams eliminated from playoff contention. 

Belichick, who is now 71 years old, will leave New England with 333 career wins, ranking second all-time to Don Shula who he will inevitably pass. Belichick, Curly Lambeau, and George Halas are the only coaches in NFL history to have six titles. Belichick will be missed, but everyone is looking forward to seeing what head coaching role he will land in the offseason.

By Avner Belsky