Nathaniel Hackett’s name will now go down in the history books of the NFL. The former Denver Broncos head coach served one of the shortest coaching stints ever. The 43-year-old was fired on Monday after his team got blown out by the Los Angeles Rams, losing the game 14-51. Following the 37-point defeat, Broncos fell to a 4-11 record for the season. The tension within the ownership, which was accumulating for the past few weeks, finally manifested as Hacket’s firing. However, after ending his stint in just 15 games, Hackett joined the elite company of Bill Belichick.
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The fans could not help but remember the odd tale of Belichick and the New York Jets. They promoted the future Hall of Fame coach to the post of head coach after the resignation of Bill Parcells in the 1999 NFL season. But the 6 time Super Bowl-winning coach surprised the entirety of the NFL world with what followed next.
Bill Belichick: The record holder
The 70-year-old was supposed to be the next long-term HC for the Jets. But his run at the top of the coaching staff there only lasted for a day. Within the next 24 hours of the decision, Belichick called a press conference to announce not his tenure as their HC but to resign from the position. He famously wrote, “I resign as HC of the NYJ” on a loose piece of paper, marking the end of his stint. The 24-hour period served by Bill still stands as the shortest ever.
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Then on the 27th of January 2000, the New England Patriots traded a first-round pick and two late future picks in exchange for the coach. He then took the responsibilities of HC for the Pats, and the rest was history.
read more: Underwhelming Nathaniel Hackett Shown the Door Amidst 4–11 Disaster and NFL Fans Feel “About Time”
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Belichick still feels it was one of the greatest moments of his career. “One of the not only most defining, but one of the great moments of my career,” added Belichick. “That combined with Robert (Kraft) giving me the opportunity to come here, I couldn’t have asked for anything more. That wasn’t a good situation for me, and I didn’t want to be part of it, so I wasn’t.”
Watch this story: Former NFL RB throws major shade at Patriots’ HC Bill Belichick.