Athletes - Bill Belichick

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	Athletes - Bill Belichick

William Stephen Belichick (born April 16, 1952 in Nashville, Tennessee) is the head coach of the New England Patriots, a team in the National Football League. He became the head coach of the Patriots before the 2000 season, having previously worked as a defensive coordinator. In the early nineties, he had been the head coach of the Cleveland Browns. Known for his elaborate defensive schemes and business-like coaching style, Belichick achieved almost immediate success as head coach, leading the Patriots to Super Bowl titles in the 2001, 2003, and 2004 NFL seasons.

Early life

Belichick was raised in Annapolis, Maryland, and after graduating from Annapolis High School, he attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts for a postgraduate year. Upon his graduation from Phillips, Belichick attended to Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, where he played center/tight end. In addition to being a member of the football team, he also played lacrosse and squash, serving as the captain of the lacrosse team during his senior season. He graduated in 1975 with a degree in economics.

Assistant Coach

After graduating, he took a $25-per-week job as a coaching assistant with the NFL's Baltimore Colts and began his pro football education. He then became a special teams coach with the Detroit Lions (1976) and the Denver Broncos (1977-78) before joining the staff of the New York Giants and head coach Ray Perkins in 1979. He eventually became linebackers coach and later defensive coordinator under head coach Bill Parcells, who had replaced Perkins in 1983. The Giants won Super Bowls following the 1986 and 1990 seasons.

His defensive gameplan from the New York Giants' 20-19 upset of the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXV is now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as is his defensive gameplan from the New England Patriots 20-17 upset of the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.

Head Coach

Cleveland Browns

From 1991 until 1995, Belichick was the head coach of the Cleveland Browns. During his tenure in Cleveland, he compiled a 36-44 record, leading the team to a playoff appearance in 1994. Many fans in Cleveland, however, remember him as the man who benched and then cut much-beloved quarterback Bernie Kosar in 1993, a move that sparked great controversy.

New York Jets

After leaving Cleveland, Belichick served under Parcells again as assistant head coach/secondary with the Patriots (1996) and New York Jets(1997-99). Belichick was offered the Jets head coaching position, but his introduction speech turned out to be a surprise resignation. Shortly afterward, he accepted an offer from the Patriots to become their new head coach.

New England Patriots

Belichick was part of another quarterback controversy in New England during the 2001 season, after Drew Bledsoe was injured in the second game of the season and was replaced by Tom Brady. Although Bledsoe eventually recovered from his injury, Belichick elected to keep Brady as his starter. This decision paid off as the Patriots won the Super Bowl that year, and Brady eventually developed into one of the league's best quarterbacks. The Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVI over the St. Louis Rams by a score of 20-17. He also went on to lead the Patriots over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII by a score of 32-29 and a victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX by a final score of 24-21.

It was also disclosed in January 2006 by Patriots' owner Robert Kraft that Belichick had received a contract extension, although the details of that extension have not been revealed.

Coaching Tree

As of January 17, 2006, three members of Belichick's "coaching tree" were head coaches of other NFL teams, and at least three were head coaches of NCAA Division I football programs:

Romeo Crennel
for the Browns
Eric Mangini
for the Jets
Nick Saban
for the Dolphins
Charlie Weis
at Notre Dame
Kirk Ferentz
at Iowa
Pat Hill
at Fresno State

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