Bill Belichick Era: Before the Patriots’ Downfall, Legend Head Coach Witnessed 162 Coaching Changes

The Bill Belichick era is over at the Patriots, for once and for all. Owner Robert Kraft organized a farewell press conference to thank the head coach and revealed their exciting, unheard moments from the decades-long journey. The franchise’s, arguably the NFL’s greatest-ever coaching stint, ends with a 266-121-0 record in 24 seasons.

But ever wondered how many head coaching stints the rest of the league saw during the Patriots’ Belichick era? Or, how many head coaches there have been? The number is surprisingly big at 162. And that just goes to show the durability of the NFL’s 4th longest coaching streak.

Belichick: witness to two decades of change

Belichick joined the Patriots as a head coach 24 years ago, on 27 January 2000. His stint started before the Texans Offensive Rookie of the Season contender CJ Stroud was born. That’s how long it has been. He was the last active coach in the league from the NFL’s 28-team era, which was upgraded to 32 in 2002.

Given the NFL’s poor reputation of impatience with head coaches, the 32 sides have since seen 162 different head coaches while the Patriots only saw Belichick. The coaches also accounted for a whopping 224 total stints during that time, averaging over 9.3 coaches every season. That’s how unstable the league’s coaching stints have been.

And that’s how impressive Bill Belichick has been, too. He went 5-11 in his first season with Drew Bledsoe as his quarterback. It wasn’t as bad for the QB individually, as he broke the franchise passing record held by Steve Grogan, with 26,886 yards. Then in the 2001 season, the team’s 4th choice QB, named Tom Brady, replaced an injured Bledsoe in week 2, September 23. And the Patriots took off.

How did Bill Belichick craft the greatest NFL story of all time?

The Patriots won their maiden Super Bowl in the 2001 season, with a regular season record of 11-5. That was the beginning of Belichick’s 19-year-old win streak. In 2002, the Patriots went 9-7 in the regular season. Following it, the team wouldn’t cross the 6-loss mark in nearly 2-decades, after Brady’s departure.

The side went on a decade-long hiatus after the Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005, and won’t win their 4th ring till Super Bowl XLIX in 2015. Although they lost out on the Vince Lombardi Trophy on two separate occasions during this period, the 3x Super Bowl winners came back to win three more rings in the following five years.

The Patriots dynasty, led by Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, reached a height never seen before in Gridiron. Their success blinded everyone and set the bar to a new height, redefining football. The Patriots’ sun looked like it would never set until Brady waved goodbye to his coach in 2019. Then, it started inching close to the horizon, as the HC himself wasn’t enough to hold his kingdom together.

Read More: Michigan vs. Bucs and Patriots: Where Does Tom Brady’s Heart Truly Lie?

Now, after 24 years, it’s darkness everywhere. The sun has set in New England, as a teary-eyed Bill Belichick exists as the 163rd coach since that historical winter morning in January 2000.

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