Longtime New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has taken another step toward induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
A six-time Super Bowl winner as Patriots head coach and two-time champion
as an assistant with the New York Giants, Belichick was announced as one of nine semifinalists for the 2026 class. In a follow-up step, the selection committee will meet again on Nov. 18 to further trim the group to one finalist.
Belichick, naturally, is an overwhelming favorite to move past that next hurdle. The 73-year-old, who was with the Patriots from 2000 to January 2024, is the most successful coach in NFL history and together with another future Hall of Famer — quarterback Tom Brady — helped establish a two-decade dynasty that stands as the most successful in league history.
Besides his championship pedigree and posting a 333-178 career record between stints in Cleveland and New England, he also was voted AP Coach of the Year three times and to the NFL All-Decade Teams of both the 2000s and the 2010s. He furthermore was one of 10 coaches named to the NFL’s 100th Anniversary Team.
Going up against Belichick and his one-of-a-kind résumé will be Tom Coughlin, Mike Holmgren, Chuck Knox, Buddy Parker, Dan Reeves, Marty Schottenheimer, George Seifert and Mike Shanahan.
If Belichick manages to emerge out of that group, he will be only one step away from earning the famous golden jacket and take his spot among the legends of the game. In total, between four and eight men will be part of the Hall of Fame’s 2026 class.
The final round of voting, which will also feature players and contributors, will take place in early February.
