Bill Belichick fired by New England Patriots after 24 years and six Super Bowl wins following disastrous NFL season
BILL Belichick has been sensationally fired by the New England Patriots after a disastrous season.
The legendary head coach, 71, leaves following 24 years and six Super Bowl wins with the team.
Belichick‘s iconic run with the Patriots comes to an end after multiple showdown talks with owner Robert Kraft.
Per NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, Belichick leaves after “three days of meetings” and “is now out” of the organization.
His departure comes after a dreadful season, which saw the Pats rank last in the AFC East with a 4-13 record – marking New England’s worst finish since 1992.
It is unlikely the 71-year-old will retire with the Tennessee native reportedly enjoying lots of interest in his services from NFL teams.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter claims Belichick and the Patriots will officially “part ways” on Thursday.
Also, the NFL icon said he still enjoys coaching as he answered questions about his future after the Week 18 loss to the New York Jets.
Belichick seemingly wanted to return to Foxboro for another season and even suggested he would be open to relinquishing his general manager duties for the greater good of the Pats.
“I’m for whatever collectively we decide as an organization is the best thing to help our football team,” he said the day after the season-ending loss to the Jets.
“I’m under contract. I’m going to do what I always do, which is every day I come in, work as hard as I can to help the team in whatever way I can. So that’s what I’m going to continue to do.”
Belichick has had control over the team’s football operations since Kraft hired him as head coach in 2000.
He reunited with the Patriots four years after serving as their assistant head coach and defensive backs coach during the 1996 NFL season.
Belichick took the job having already won two championship rings while working as a defensive coordinator for the New York Giants between 1985-1990.
His first Super Bowl win with the Pats came in his second season with the team – coinciding with Tom Brady taking the starting quarterback job from Drew Bledsoe.
The triumph started the Patriot Way era in Foxboro, driven by Brady’s competitiveness and Belichick’s ruthless coaching style.
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