FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (PSF)—The New England Patriots are parting ways with head coach Bill Belichick after 24 seasons.

Hired by the Patriots’ owner Robert Kraft in 2000, Belichick’s era is ending after an unmatched run in NFL history. The decision to mutually part ways occurred after several productive meetings and conversations between the two. There is a lot of respect between Belichick and Kraft, and an outside party even noted that they “took the high road,” which is fitting for the remarkable duo.

Belichick will be leaving New England with an unmatched resume:

-       333 career victories (including playoffs) which is ranked No. 2 all time.

-       He is one of only three NFL coaches with six championships since the league began postseason.

-       His 24-year tenure was the fifth-longest of any head coach with one team.

-       The most division titles (17) by a head coach in NFL history.

-       The most conference championships (nine) by a head coach in the Super Bowl era

-       21 winning seasons as a head coach

-       Six Super Bowl titles and nine Super Bowl appearances

When people think of Belichick, quarterback Tom Brady is usually associated with the thought. The Patriots drafted Brady in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft, Belichick’s first year as head coach. Brady would make his first start in the 2001 season, and for the next 19 years they were the unstoppable duo in New England.

Belichick may be most known for developing Brady, but many other star players made a name for themselves under the Belichick era.

A few notable players who played for Belichick at New England:

-       Wide receiver Randy Moss

-       WR Julian Edelman

-       Tight End Rob Gronkowski

-       Defensive lineman Richard Seymour

-       Linebacker Mike Vrabel

-       LB Dont’a Hightower

-       LB Jerod Mayo

-       LB Matthew Judon

-       Kicker Adam Vinatieri

-       Special teams Matthew Slater

And many, many more.

The news that Belichick was leaving New England was not a surprise to fans. After Brady left in 2020 to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team has not been able to generate momentum and has fallen short of the playoffs for the past couple of years. Before this season, Kraft made a point that he wanted the team to return to the playoffs after their short stint, but instead the team was one of the first to be eliminated.  

The Patriots’ disappointing season was highlighted by offensive struggles, as former first round pick QB Mac Jones was benched for QB Bailey Zappe midway through the season. The Patriots will have the third overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft and are projected to draft a quarterback with this pick.

New England will now embark on their head coaching search, something they haven’t had to do in a quarter-century. With the NFL head coaching market already in full swing with many coaches and teams looking for replacements, it will be interesting to see who the Patriots go with.

Right now, it is looking like former Patriots LB and current Patriots LB coach Jerod Mayo is the leading candidate for the job, but former Titans head coach Mike Vrabel could also be a contender. It seems like Kraft wants someone who 1) knows the organization 2) will bring the “Patriots way” back and 3) take the Patriots back to the playoffs.

Even though Belichick’s time with New England is done, he plans to take his coaching expertise elsewhere. Where he will go is up in the air, but many teams will probably be eager to hire him.

Belichick will go down as one of the best head coaches of all time, posting marks that will be untouched for many years to come. His legacy will never be forgotten, and New England fans thank him for all the success he has brought to the organization.