Belichick Gets National Respect for Long Coaching Career

Canton List

Sep 1, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick on the field before the game at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Bill Belichick has moved to the next stage of the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection process, one of 12 coaches advanced by the Hall’s Coach Blue-Ribbon Committee for the Class of 2026.

The list signals real momentum toward Canton for the six-time Super Bowl champion in his first year of eligibility, after a rules change shortened the waiting period for coaches to one season out of the NFL.

Joining Belichick are Tom Coughlin, Mike Holmgren, Mike Shanahan and George Seifert, who each have Super Bowl hardware, alongside Bill Arnsparger, Alex Gibbs, Chuck Knox, Buddy Parker, Dan Reeves, Marty Schottenheimer and Clark Shaughnessy. It’s a mix of innovators and program builders that spans tactical architects, culture setters and long-view stabilizers.

The Blue-Ribbon Committee will cut the list to nine semifinalists later this month, then meet in mid-November to choose one coach finalist for the Class of 2026, which will be chosen next August in Canton. Belichick owns six Lombardi Trophies as a head coach, a record 31 postseason victories and 333 combined wins with Cleveland and New England, second all-time to Don Shula.

Belichick's Resume

Sep 13, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick on the sidelines in the second quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

He also collected two Super Bowl rings as the Giants’ defensive coordinator before building a two-decade New England dynasty that paired football with week-to-week improvement. His willingness to morph around personnel became a template other teams copied, and often failed to match.

In 2024, the Hall modified coach eligibility from five years to one, opening the door for Belichick immediately after his 2024 exit from the Patriots.

The Selection Process

Sep 20, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick walks into the field before the game against the UCF Knights at the Bounce House Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

The Coach Blue-Ribbon Committee, a nine-member panel that includes selectors and historians, evaluates this category separately from modern-era players, creating comparisons of leadership portfolios.

At this stage, each member voted for 12 names and the next ballot will reduce the field to nine, with one coach ultimately emerging as a finalist for the full Selection Committee’s vote.

UNC — Bill Belichick | Jackson McCurdy, North Carolina Tar Heels On SI

However, with Belichick currently coaching at North Carolina, an unusual move for a Hall candidate, but one that keeps his methods current and his name present during the selection window.

This advancement to the final 12 isn’t necessarily a win yet, but it's positioning inside a decorated company with playmaking trailblazers like Shaughnessy and Schottenheimer, who changed the game forever.

What's Next

Dec 12, 2024; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels new head coach Bill Belichick holds up the sweatshirt worn by his father when he was an assistant coach at New North Carolina Tar Heels new at Loudermilk Center for Excellence. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

But for the coach who reset football’s standards for preparation and adaptability, the path from list to shrine looks less like an “if” and more like a “when.”

When the next three names are dropped from the ballot, it will show how quickly the committee intends to make that call. Despite a bad run with Carolina football, his years in the league still make for a top contender and future Hall-of-Famer.

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