New England Patriots

Pro Career: Bill Belichick is the only head coach in NFL history to win three Super Bowl championships in a four-year span. In 2007, he became the first NFL head coach to guide his team to a 16-0 regular season.

Belichick was hired by Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft on Jan. 27, 2000 and has directed the Patriots to victories in Super Bowls XXXVI (2001), XXXVIII (2003) and XXXIX (2004).


In 2007, Coach Belichick earned NFL Coach of the Year honors as the Patriots became the fourth team in the league's 88-year history to complete an undefeated regular season and the first to achieve the feat since the NFL increased the number of regular-season games to 16 in 1978. Belichick joined Pro Football Hall of Famers George Halas and Don Shula as the only head coaches to complete undefeated regular seasons. New England's 18 overall victories in 2007 tied the 1985 Chicago Bears and the 1984 San Francisco 49ers for the most in league history. New England became the first team in NFL history and the first major American pro sports team since 1884 to open a season with 18 straight wins. The Patriots set all-time NFL records for points scored (589), touchdowns (75) and point differential (+315) in addition to numerous individual and team records. Of the Patriots' 22 starters in Super Bowl XLII, 21 were acquired since Belichick became head coach in 2000.


Belichick launched his career in 1975 as a special assistant with the Baltimore Colts, then became an assistant special teams coach with Detroit (1976-77) and Denver (1978). In 1979, he joined the New York Giants to begin a 12-season stint. Belichick was named head coach of the Cleveland Browns in 1991, becoming the youngest head coach in the NFL at age 37. By 1994, Belichick returned the Browns to the playoffs, finishing 11-5 and advancing to the second round, while allowing a league-low 204 total points. In 1996, Belichick joined New England and was a key contributor to the team's rebound from a 6-10 season in 1995 to an 11-5 season and the team's first division title in 10 years en route to the Patriots' appearance in Super Bowl XXXI. Belichick then spent three seasons with the Jets from 1997 to 1999, helping New York improve from a 1-15 season in 1996 to reach the AFC Championship Game in 1998.

Background: Belichick was a center/tight end at Wesleyan 1971-74.

Personal: Born April 16, 1952, Nashville.