Bill Belichick

Lore & Background

Belichick is a descendant of Bill Parcells' coaching tree. He began his coaching career in 1975 as an assistant for the Baltimore Colts and became defensive coordinator for the New York Giants by 1985. He was head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 1991 to 1995, then served under Parcells with the New England Patriots in 1996 and later with the New York Jets. After being named head coach of the Jets, he resigned after one day to accept the head coaching job for the Patriots on January 27, 2000. In 24 seasons with the Patriots, he won 17 AFC East titles, made 13 AFC Championship Game appearances, and appeared in nine Super Bowls with six wins. He has the most playoff coaching wins all-time (31) and ranks third in regular-season wins (302). He is one of only three head coaches to win six NFL titles and was named AP NFL Coach of the Year in 2003, 2007, and 2010.

In Their Own Story

The rain falls softly on a quiet day at Paycor Field. A historian walks through the hall of fame displays, pausing before the portraits of Bengals legends. There is no image of Bill Belichick here, no jersey bearing his number, no plaque detailing a tenure that never was. The silence speaks volumes: this is a story of what could have been, but in the true canon of Cincinnati football, it remains unwritten.

Reader's Guide

Belichick was born in Nashville, Tennessee, and raised in Annapolis, Maryland, where his father was an assistant football coach at the United States Naval Academy. He graduated from Annapolis High School in 1970, attended Phillips Academy for a postgraduate year, and earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Wesleyan University in 1975. His coaching career includes early positions with the Baltimore Colts (1975), Detroit Lions (1976–1977), Denver Broncos (1978), New York Giants (1979–1990), Cleveland Browns (1991–1995), New England Patriots (1996), New York Jets (1997–1999), and New England Patriots again (2000–2019). He has never served as a player or coach for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Did You Know?

• Belichick is of Croatian ancestry; his paternal grandparents emigrated from Draganić in 1897.
• He played lacrosse and squash at Wesleyan University and was captain of the lacrosse team.
• His defensive game plan from Super Bowl XXV is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
• Belichick has eight total Super Bowl titles, the most of any individual in NFL history.