Apart from recently retired player Tom Brady, the New England Patriots’ six Super Bowl-winning golden era was also featured by the league’s most senior head coach Bill Belichick’s supremacy as a head coach. Though Brady left New England many years ago, Belichick has been working relentlessly as the torchbearer of the Patriots for more than two decades.
With the Patriots, the coach already got off to a career-setting start. But in addition to ensuring that the Patriots have another outstanding campaign under his leadership, Belichick is also striving to surpass Don Shula’s record for the most victories as a head coach in order to put a stop to one of Shula’s taunts to him.
Bill Belichick’s goal to rewrite NFL history
Shula holds the NFL record with 347 victories, therefore Belichick’s 329 career victories, including playoff victories, fall 19 short. Although the coach of the New England squad had a successful period in New England, the Spygate controversy in 2007 cast questions on his coaching abilities.
The incident brought him an unpopular nickname “Beli-cheat” and Shula once made fun of his scandal referring to this unpopular nickname. Though Don has forgotten the incident, Bill Belichick still harbored anger in his mind. Per the report of Dov Kleiman, Belichick is determined to surpass Shula’s record for most victories in order to give him Shula’s full retort for making fun of his scandal.
“If I can’t whip you off the books with another perfect season, I’m going to do the next best thing, I’m going to take your all-time wins record.”
That must have made Don giggle because he doesn’t think it’s important to keep the grudges in his mind. Perhaps this is the root of the 71-year-old head coach’s continued lack of interest in making a retirement decision.
“The Spygate thing has diminished what they’ve accomplished,” Shula said. “You would hate to have that attached to your accomplishments. They’ve got it.”
When did Bill Belichick join the Patriots?
Bill Belichick is beginning his 24th season with the Patriots this year, having been initially hired by Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft on Jan. 27, 2000. The HC boasts a 262-109-0 record as the team’s head coach, making him the most successful head coach in New England Patriots history
He further solidified his reputation in NFL history by being the only head coach to win six Super Bowls. Additionally, he has 30 postseason victories, 17 division titles (2002 and 2008 were lost on tiebreakers), nine conference championships, and nine division crowns.
The year 1975 marked the beginning of the legendary man’s coaching career. As Ted Marchibroda’s special assistant, the six-time Super Bowl-winning coach started his coaching career with the Baltimore Colts. In 1976, Belichick joined the Detroit Lions as an assistant special teams coach.
The Patriots’ head coach first gained prominence as a coach while working with the New York Giants for 12 years, helping them win Super Bowls XXI and XXV while serving as the defensive coordinator. He began his head coaching career with the Cleveland Browns in 1991 before joining the Patriots.
Do you think Bill Belichick can live on his determination to break Shaula’s record? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section.
