Patriots Coach Bill Belichick Overpaid at $20 Million?
As AC/DC once said, money talks ... and it makes quite the statement in Foxboro.
A report from Sportico has determined that New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is the highest-paid coach in American sports, cashing in a yearly salary of $20 million. Belichick leads the way among NFL coaches, who make up six of the first seven names on the list (the lone exception being Gregg Popovich of the NBA's San Antonio Spurs). He has a healthy, expensive advantage over the runner-up and fellow gridiron boss ... and New England sideline alum ... Pete Carroll of Seattle.
Even with the Patriots' relative struggles in the post-Tom Brady era, it's not hard to see why Belichick's check takes a while to write: he is the most accomplished active head coach in professional sports. Amongst his contemporaries on the list of the top 10 highest-paid leaders, he's second only to Nick Saban's seven college football national championships.
In addition to his Vince Lombardi Trophy hoists, Belichick is closing in on one of the most cherished and longer-standing major records in NFL history: entering Week 14 play, Belichick is the league's second-winningest head coach at 327 victories, having passed George Halas for second place earlier this season.
All but 37 have come with the Patriots, whose top headset he assumed in 2000, and he's 20 victories away from tying the late Don Shula for the NFL record. To put Belichick's career in perspective, only four other active bosses have been at their locale for at least a decade (joining fellow well-paid representatives Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh, Pete Carroll, and Andy Reid).
Belichick will get his next chance to prove his worth on Monday night when the Patriots (6-6), in the midst of a late playoff push, battle the Arizona Cardinals (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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