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.
GettyThe New England Patriots have parted ways with head coach Bill Belichick[/caption]
GettyBelichick led the Pats to six Super Bowl titles[/caption]
Belichick‘s iconic run with the Patriots comes to an end after multiple showdown talks with owner Robert Kraft.
Kraft and Belichick will address the media at Gillette Stadium at noon ET today.
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.
End of an era
Bill Belichick’s record in New England:
24 seasons
9 Super Bowl appearances
6 Super Bowl titles
266-120 regular season record
30-12 postseason record
Belichick took the job having already won two championship rings while working as a defensive coordinator for the New York Giants between 1985-1990.
He was also head coach for five seasons with the Cleveland Browns.
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 Mike Vrabel amongst the favorites.
The former Pats linebacker won three Super Bowls under Belichick as a player and recently left the Tennessee Titans.
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.
GettyNew England’s golden era started when Belichick made Tom Brady (back) the team’s starting quarterback in 2001[/caption] Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
