Bill Belichick will step down as coach of the New England Patriots after a record 24 seasons, stating Thursday that “we’re going to move on” while looking back warmly on his unrivaled run in NFL history that featured six Super Bowl championships.
Belichick and Patriots owner Robert Kraft met many times this week to discuss how each side intended to proceed. According to people involved with those conversations, there was no tension or dispute, and in the end, good discussions ended in a consensual resolution that put all parties at rest.
During a press conference on Thursday, Kraft referred to Belichick as the greatest coach of all time, deserving of a first-ballot Hall of Fame induction.
“This is a move that we mutually agreed is needed at this time,” Kraft said in a statement. “What Bill accomplished, in my opinion, will never be duplicated.”
Belichick, who has stated that he would “always be a Patriot,” expressed gratitude to Kraft and his family for the chance and support, stating, “We had a vision of building a championship football team that has exceeded my wildest dreams and expectations.” That makes me really happy. I’ll always have those wonderful memories, and I’ll take them with me for the rest of my life.”
Belichick, who had one year left on his contract, will be able to leave the franchise without compensation from the Patriots. He wants to keep coaching and is anticipated to be pursued by at least some of the other seven NFL teams with open head-coaching positions, including the Atlanta Falcons, according to league sources.
“It’ll be difficult to see him in a cutoff hoodie on the sidelines, but I’ll always wish him continued success, except when it’s against the beloved Patriots,” Kraft said in a statement.
The Patriots will now conduct their first head-coaching search in over a quarter century. According to insiders, Patriots linebackers coach Jerod Mayo, whom the organization signed to a contract deal in the winter and whom Kraft has recognized as a potential head-coaching contender, is expected to be a major candidate for the job. Mayo was a Patriots player from 2008 to 2015 and has been an assistant coach under Belichick since 2019.
If Mayo is finally selected, and the Patriots included a succession plan in his contract last offseason, the team may hire him at any time without going through the usual NFL hiring procedure.
In a second press conference Thursday, Kraft stated that he elected not to try to trade Belichick, adding that he “didn’t think it was right” to turn the coach’s departure into a transaction and comparing the situation to Tom Brady departing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“We’re looking for someone who can help us get back to the playoffs and win,” Kraft stated in a statement.
Brady expressed his disappointment over Belichick’s leaving on Instagram, calling him “the best coach in the history of the NFL.”
“We accomplished some amazing things over a long period of time, many of which will be hard to replicate,” he wrote. “He worked tirelessly every day to assist us in achieving the ultimate goal in the ultimate team sport.” Without you, Coach Belichick, I would not have been the player I was. I will be eternally thankful. And I wish you the best of success in your future endeavors.”
Belichick’s departure from New England came less than 24 hours after his close friend Nick Saban announced his retirement from Alabama.
The exits of two football icons—individuals commonly regarded as the best coach in professional history and the greatest coach in college football history—have symmetry and likeness. Belichick guided the Patriots to nine Super Bowl trips and six Super Bowl triumphs, while Saban led Alabama to nine SEC crowns and six national championships.
Furthermore, Saban succeeded Pete Carroll as the secondary coach at Ohio State in 1980; when Belichick was head coach in Cleveland, he worked with Saban from 1991 to 1994; and Belichick replaced Carroll as the Patriots’ head coach in 2000, decades before all three resigned in a 24-hour period this week.
The fact that Belichick and Kraft are going their separate ways is unfortunate, but not surprising. Kraft emphasized the importance of the Patriots making the playoffs this season. Instead, on December 10, they were one of the first teams eliminated.
During the 2023 season, speculation regarding Belichick’s future lingered, with one of the team’s lowest moments occurring Nov. 12 in a 10-6 defeat to the Indianapolis Colts in Frankfurt, Germany.
In an interview with NFL Network before the game, Kraft, 82, said of the previous season, “It’s really been disappointing.” I had hoped, as did our fan base, that things would be much better. This was not what we expected to happen this year.”
Another important consideration for Kraft was the franchise’s trajectory since Brady’s departure as a free agent following the 2019 season. The Patriots have lost three of their four seasons since losing Brady, which hurt Kraft, and their last postseason win was a 13-3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII on February 3, 2019—when Brady was still on the club.
Belichick, 71, leaves New England with 333 career victories (including playoffs), second only to Don Shula’s 347. Since the league began postseason play in 1933, only Belichick, George Halas, and Curly Lambeau have won six titles.
He is currently trying to play in his 50th NFL season with another team.
Kraft described the choice as an “emotional day” for the company while explaining why he thought it was the correct one.
“Our family is the custodian of this asset, the New England Patriots, and we know how important it is to the psyche of the community,” Kraft said in a statement. “What’s gone on here the last three to four years isn’t what we want, so we have a responsibility to do what we can to fix it to the best of our ability.”
