Patriots Hired Bill Belichick As Head Coach 22 Years Ago Thursday

The New England Patriots hired head coach Bill Belichick for a reason. It was a difficult decision for team owner Robert Kraft, but it turned out to be the best decision he has ever made. Kraft was a true leader for the Patriots and he faced a big dilemma 22 years ago. The team owner could continue searching for a head coach after getting rid of Pete Carroll. He decided to stand strong in his convictions that Belichick was the right man to coach his players.

Bill Belichick was named @Patriots head coach on this day 22 years ago. Since then, his teams have won 17 AFC East titles, 9 AFC championships, and 6 Super Bowls. Not a bad run. pic.twitter.com/BekIcac1sW

— The Hall presented by Raytheon Technologies (@TheHall) January 27, 2022

Patriots hired Kraft despite all the obstacles

Kraft faced many obstacles in the process. Belichick didn’t have much luck as the Cleveland Browns head coach. That’s not all. Belichick was also under contract to coach the New York Jets. Kraft tried really hard and jumped into negotiations with his former coach Bill Parcells. Belichick was named the head coach of the Jets, but he resigned a day later. The NFL Commissioner had to get involved in the whole situation. The Patriots owner had to give up on the 16^th overall pick in the 2000 draft and fourth- and seventh-round picks in 2001 to get his coach, a 2001 fifth-rounder, and a 2002 seventh-rounder. Oh, he made a really good decision!

Belichick announced his resignation as a Jets head coach, and his press conference was really awkward. Many thought that he couldn’t accept the job in New York. This was just another obstacle for the Kraft family. They had to convince New England that Belichick is a good head coach.

Belichick proved doubters wrong. His stacked records of 284-110 (.721 winning percentage) in the regular season and 30-12 (.714) in the postseason. In his 22 seasons with the Patriots, Belichick won six titles, nine AFC championships, 17 AFC East crowns, and 18 playoff appearances.

Tom Brady helped Belichick build a dynasty. New England became the biggest force in the NFL. Other teams couldn’t even match their success. The Patriots beat great teams and excellent coaches and Belichick became the best coach in the NFL. We all know that Belichick has found his next Tom Brady in Mac Jones.