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BILL BUTCHERED
Bill Belichick fired by New England Patriots after 24 years and six Super Bowl wins following disastrous NFL season
But other teams have expressed serious interest in recruiting Belichick
BILL Belichick has been sensationally fired by the New England Patriots after a disastrous season.
The legendary head coach leaves following 24 years and six Super Bowl wins with the team.
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Owner Robert Kraft and Belichick confirmed the news during a press conference at midday ET on Thursday.
Belichick's iconic run with the Patriots comes to an end after multiple showdown talks with owner Robert Kraft.
His departure follows 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 that Belichick will retire, with the Tennessee native reportedly enjoying lots of interest in his services from NFL teams.
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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.
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Belichick, 71, 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.
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"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's New England record
From 2000 to 2024
- 24 NFL seasons
- 9 Super Bowl appearances
- 6 Super Bowl titles
- 266-120 regular season record
- 30-12 postseason record
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Belichick took the job having already won two championship rings while working as a defensive coordinator for the New York Giants from 1985-1990.
He was also head coach of the Cleveland Browns for five seasons.
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.
Belichick leaves with a remarkable regular NFL season record of 266-120.
In the postseason, he went 30-12 and reached nine Super Bowls in total, winning six.
Attention will now turn to Belichick's Foxboro replacement, with recent Titans head coach and former Pats linebacker Mike Vrabel among the favorites.
Vrabel won three Super Bowls under Belichick as a player and left the Tennessee Titans on Tuesday.
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Away from the field, Belichick has three children with ex-wife Debby Clarke, who he divorced from in 2006 after 29 years of marriage.
Belichick's son Brian joined the Patriots staff in 2017 and currently works as a safeties coach with the team.
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