Bill Belichick
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William Stephen Belichick (born April 16, 1952 in Nashville, Tennessee) is the head coach of the New England Patriots, a team in the National Football League. He became the head coach of the Patriots after making an infamous resignation from the New York Jets head coaching position in what was supposed to be his introduction speech. He led the Patriots to Super Bowl titles in the 2001, 2003, and 2004 NFL seasons. The 2001 victory came just over two years after he was hired as head coach. With his Super Bowl victory in the 2004 season, he surpassed Vince Lombardi for the best playoff record in NFL playoff history (10-1).
Belichick was raised in Annapolis, Maryland, and is a graduate of both Annapolis High School and Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. Upon graduation from Phillips, Belichick progressed to Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, where he played center/tight end. In addition to being a member of the football team, he also played lacrosse and squash, serving as the captain of the lacrosse team during his senior season. He graduated in 1975 with a degree in economics.
Belichick is married and has two sons and one daughter. His father, Steve Belichick, played for the Detroit Lions and was the head coach of the United States Naval Academy football team for 33 years.
His defensive gameplan from the New York Giants' 20-19 upset of the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXV is now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as is his defensive gameplan from the New England Patriots 20-17 upset of the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.
From 1991 until 1995, when the team moved to Baltimore, Belichick was the head coach of the Cleveland Browns. During his tenure in Cleveland, he compiled a 36-44 record, leading the team to a playoff appearance in 1994. Many fans in Cleveland, however, remember him as the man who benched and then cut much-beloved quarterback Bernie Kosar in 1993, a move that sparked great controversy.
External links
- NFL.com profile (http://www.nfl.com/teams/coaching/NE)
- Patriots.com (http://www.patriots.com/) - official team website
- Coaching history (http://originwww.patriots.com/team/index.cfm?ac=playerbio&bio=506)