Belichick, Bill (William Stephen Belichick), 1952–, American professional football coach, b. Nashville, Tenn. The son of a college coach, he played football at Wesleyan Univ. He held various coaching positions in the National Football League before joining (1979) the New York Giants and becoming (1985) Bill Parcells' defensive coordinator. Subsequently, Belichick was head coach of the Cleveland Browns (1991–94) and assistant head coach of the New England Patriots (1996) and New York Jets (1997–99). Appointed to lead the Patriots in 2000, he guided, in partnership with quarterback Tom Brady, the team to championships in the 2001, 2003, and 2004 seasons, becoming the first NFL head coach to win three Super Bowls in four years. The Patriots finished the 2007 season undefeated but lost the Super Bowl to the New York Giants, who also denied them the Super Bowl after the 2011 season. Belichick tied and then broke Chuck Noll's record for most Super Bowls won as a coach when the Patriots, again quarterbacked by Brady, were the 2014 and 2016 season champions. After losing the 2017 season championship to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Pats won the following season. The Belichick-Brady Patriots have compiled the winningest record in the Super Bowl era.
See D. Halberstam, The Education of a Coach (2005).
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