Bill Belichick is referred to as one of the greatest coaches in the history of the National Football League (NFL). However, the six-time Super Bowl champion will have to wait another year to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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Belichick carries the second-most wins by a coach in NFL history, having a record of 333-178, only behind Don Shula, who had 347 wins. Belichick also set the bar with the most postseason wins by a coach with 31 wins.
“It is honestly ridiculous,” said sophomore Nolan Heneghan. “It is so rare to see greatness like that across any sport in modern-day sports. I just don’t understand what else he needed to do to be named a first-ballot Hall of Famer.”
The three-time AP NFL Coach of the Year (2003, 2007, 2010) was one vote short of the 40-vote threshold required to be named into the Hall of Fame during his first year of eligibility. The NFL Hall of Fame’s 50-person voting committee mainly consists of seasoned NFL reporters, but also includes some major football icons, such as Hall of Fame head coach Tony Dungy.
Per the Seattle Sports podcast, in regard to Belichick not getting in on the first-ballot, former NFL Quarterback Tom Brady said, “I don’t understand it, I was there with him every day… if he’s not a first-ballot Hall of Famer, there’s really no coach that should ever be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.”
Only five NFL head coaches in the sport’s rich history have ever been named to the Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility. These names include George Halas (1963), Curly Lambeau (1963), Tom Landry (1990), Chuck Noll (1993) and Don Shula (1997).
“As a Jets fan, I literally grew up watching Belichick and Brady beat down on my team,” said sophomore Matthew Renaghan. “Even a guy like me, a fan of the Patriots’ biggest rivals, thinks without a doubt he should have been named first ballot. Belichick has more Super Bowls than every other head coach in NFL history.”
According to NFL.com, the Hall of Fame issued a statement saying, “Each year, the Hall reviews the selection process and the composition of the 50-person Selection Committee. If it is determined that any member(s) violated the selection process bylaws, they understand that action will be taken. That could include the possibility that such selector(s) would not remain a member of the committee moving forward.”
“There should be petitions about this,” said freshman Andrew Logie. “I may be biased as a Patriots fan, but there is something wrong internally with the sport. As great as the NFL is, there are so many issues, such as the Pro Bowl, officiating, and now the Hall of Fame. Roger Goodell needs to do something about this.”
Although Belichick’s career had some major mishaps, such as “deflategate” in the 2015 American Football Conference Championship game and “spygate” during the 2007 season in preparation of a game against the New York Jets, Logie said, “That doesn’t and shouldn’t make him any less great.”
