Patriots Coach Bill Belichick: NFL's Winningest 'Loser'?
For the glass half-full crowd, the three losingest head coaches in NBA history are all in the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame. Same for baseball. As for football ...
New England Patriots' coach Bill Belichick shouldn't feel bad that he's closing in on the record for the most losses in NFL history. Entering his 29th season as the head man - including the last 23 in Foxboro - Belichick is also sniffing the all-time record for wins.
Like Lenny Wilkens, Bill Fitch and Don Nelson in hoops and Connie Mack, Tony LaRussa and Bucky Harris on the diamond, Belichick's Hall-of-Fame career isn't going to highlighted by his mountain of losses but more so his longevity and, of course, record six Super Bowls.
That said, CBS Sports pointed out this week that the 71-year-old Belichick is closing in on the records for both wins and losses. He is only 13 losses away from Tom Landry's 178, and needs 18 wins to pass Don Shula's record 328. Both are also in the Hall of Fame.
Says CBS: "The problem for Belichick comes from the recent trend, following the departure of Tom Brady after the 2019 season. His teams have gone 7-9 in 2020, 10-7 (0-1 in the playoffs) in 2021, and 8-9 in 2022. That’s a three year mark of 25-25 in the regular season, with a 26th loss in the postseason."
Despite his Canton-worthy resume, Belichick needs to at least win a playoff game this season to appease rapidly impatient owner Robert Kraft. And to silence critics who are growing louder with their stance that the Patriots' success was more Brady than Belichick.
Said Belichick last season of his pursuit of Shula's record, "I’ll be able to talk about that when it’s over. We’ll add them up at the end. I’m just happy for our team and appreciate all the great players we’ve had who’ve won those games."
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