Head coach Bill Belichick, a six-time Super Bowl champion, did not receive enough votes to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, according to an ESPN report.
Citing four unnamed sources, ESPN reported that Belichick did not receive the necessary 40 votes from the 50-person panel made up of members of the media and Hall of Famers. ESPN added that Belichick received a call from the Hall of Fame last Friday to break the news.
The Hall of Fame declined to comment before the class of 2026 was announced at the NFL Awards, a ceremony to be held Feb. 5 in San Francisco.
The report on Belichick’s exclusion drew widespread criticism, including from Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who posted on social media: “Unbelievable… I don’t even understand how this could be possible.”
Hired by New England in 2000, Belichick led the franchise to six Super Bowl victories and three more title game appearances during an 18-year span from 2001 to 2018. Belichick’s 333 regular-season and playoff victories with New England and Cleveland are second only to Don Shula’s 347.
He won the AP Coach of the Year award three times.
Belichick was also one of the best defensive assistants in the game before taking over in New England. He won two previous Super Bowls as the defensive coordinator of the New York Giants.
Belichick’s career had its spots. He was involved in a sign stealing scandal during the 2007 season called ‘Spygate’. He was fined $500,000 after the team was caught filming New York Jets defensive signals during a game.
Belichick’s tenure in New England ended after the 2023 season. He just completed his first year of coaching at the University of North Carolina.
Belichick was one of five finalists among coaches, contributors and veteran players who last played in a game in 2000 or earlier. Patriots owner Robert Kraft was the contributing finalist, with Roger Craig, Ken Anderson and LC Greenwood in the player group.
Between one and three of these finalists will be inducted into the Hall, along with three to five modern players from a pool of fifteen finalists.
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AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
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