Bill Belichick will not be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. The six-time Super Bowl champion coach fell short of the 40 votes needed from the 50-member selection committee for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, ESPN reported Tuesday.
The exact vote count was not disclosed. Belichick, 73, owns a career record of 333-178, including playoffs, second only to Don Shula's 347 wins. He won six Super Bowl titles as head coach of the New England Patriots and eight total, including two as defensive coordinator of the New York Giants. His 17 division titles and nine conference championships represent NFL records. According to sources cited by ESPN, the "cheating stuff"—references to Spygate and Deflategate—influenced voters' decision.
Belichick was fined $500,000 in 2007 after the Patriots were caught illegally videotaping opponents' signals. Belichick is reportedly "puzzled" and "disappointed" by the outcome, asking associates, "Six Super Bowls isn't enough?" and "What does a guy have to do?"
The Class of 2026 will be announced on February 5 during NFL Honors in San Francisco. Finalists include players Drew Brees and Eli Manning, Patriots owner Robert Kraft, and senior nominees Ken Anderson, Roger Craig, and L.C. Greenwood. Belichick left New England after the 2023 season and is currently the head coach at North Carolina, where he went 4-8 in his first season.
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