Report: Bill Belichick misses out on Hall of Fame selection in first year of eligibility
Eight-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick will have to wait at least another year to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame, according to a report.
The former New England Patriots head coach failed to receive the 40 out of 50 votes needed for induction in his first year of eligibility, according to an ESPN report.
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With a head coaching record of 333-178, including the playoffs, Belichick ranks second behind Don Shula on the NFL’s all-time wins list. His record of 31 playoff victories is unmatched.
During his 24 seasons as Patriots head coach, Belichick won six Super Bowl championships, nine AFC titles and 17 division crowns during an unprecedented two-decade run of success.
In addition to his six Super Bowls as a head coach, Belichick won two other championships as defensive coordinator of the New York Giants.
Belichick received a call Friday informing him that he had not been selected, according to ESPN.
ESPN reports that Belichick was “perplexed” and “disappointed” by the decision.
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ESPN also reports through sources that committee member and former general manager of the Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts Bill Polian told some voters that Belichick should be forced to “wait a year” as punishment for the “Spygate” scandal.
The Patriots were taken as a first-round pick and fined for filming the New York Jets’ signals from an unauthorized location during a 2007 game.
Belichick was fined $500,000 for his role in the cheating scandal, the largest fine ever imposed by the NFL on a head coach in history.
Belichick and his former boss, Patriots owner Robert Kraft, were both eligible to enter the Hall of Fame together; Belichick is the only finalist in the Coach category and Kraft in the Contributor category.
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Since Kraft purchased the Patriots in 1994, New England has advanced to 11 Super Bowls, including Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara in two weeks.
Belichick and Kraft defined NFL success in the 21st century until Belichick and the team parted ways after a disappointing 2023 season.
It is currently unclear whether Kraft received the 80 percent of votes needed to secure his place in the Hall of Fame this year.
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