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William Stephen Belichick (born April 16, 1952 in Nashville, Tennessee) is the head coach of the New England Patriots, a team in the National Football League. He became the head coach of the Patriots after making an infamous resignation from the New York Jets head coaching position in what was supposed to be his introduction speech (which led to his forgotten nickname "Belichicken"). He led the Patriots to Super Bowl titles in the 2001, 2003, and 2004 NFL seasons. The 2001 victory came in just his second season as head coach. With his Super Bowl victory in the 2004 season, he surpassed Vince Lombardi for the best record in NFL playoff history (10-1).
Belichick was raised in Annapolis, Maryland, and after graduation from Annapolis High School, he attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts for a Post Graduate year. Upon graduation from Phillips, Belichick progressed to Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, where he played center/tight end. In addition to being a member of the football team, he also played lacrosse and squash, serving as the captain of the lacrosse team during his senior season. He graduated in 1975 with a degree in economics.
Upon graduation, he took a $25 a week job as a coaching assistant with the NFL's Baltimore Colts and began his pro football education. He then became a special teams coach with the Detroit Lions (1976) and the Denver Broncos (1977-78), before joining the staff of the New York Giants and head coach Ray Perkins in 1979. He eventually became linebackers coach and, then, defensive coordinator under head coach Bill Parcells, who had replaced Perkins in 1983. The Giants won Super Bowls following the 1986 and 1990 seasons.
Belichick is married (although a separation from his wife Debbie before the 2004 season was disclosed by the team in July 2005) and has two sons and one daughter. His father, Steve Belichick, played for the Detroit Lions and was an assistant coach of the United States Naval Academy football team for 33 years. Bill reportedly learned to break down game films at a young age by watching his father and the Navy staff do their jobs.
His defensive gameplan from the New York Giants' 20-19 upset of the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXV is now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as is his defensive gameplan from the New England Patriots 20-17 upset of the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.
From 1991 until 1995, when the team moved to Baltimore, Belichick was the head coach of the Cleveland Browns. During his tenure in Cleveland, he compiled a 36-44 record, leading the team to a playoff appearance in 1994. Many fans in Cleveland, however, remember him as the man who benched and then cut much-beloved quarterback Bernie Kosar in 1993, a move that sparked great controversy.
After leaving Cleveland, Belichick served under Parcells again as assistant head coach/secondary with the Patriots (1996) and Jets (1997-99).
| Preceded byPete Carroll | New England Patriots Head Coaches 1999–present |
Succeeded byCurrent coach |
| Preceded byBud Carson | Cleveland Browns Head Coaches 1991–1995 |
Succeeded byChris Palmer |
External links
- NFL.com profile
- Patriots.com - official team website
- Coaching history
- Coaching record at pro-football-reference.com