As Bill Belichick has made the transition from the NFL to college football, the sports world has suspected that the head coach would be a lock for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, likely first-ballot. Though Belichick was a Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist, he will not be elected on the first ballot in what will be a shocking turn of events for some, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
“Bill Belichick, the 8-time Super Bowl-winning HC, is not a first-ballot Hall of Famer, per [Seth Wickersham] and [Don Van Natta Jr.],” Schefter wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Belichick fell short of the 40 out of 50 votes needed for induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.”
Belichick's resume is a hard one to beat as a head coach, as he's won six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots, and even won two before that when he was the defensive coordinator of the New York Giants in 1987 and 1991. Schefter would report how “puzzled” and “disappointed” Belichick is by the decision, even
“‘Six Super Bowls isn't enough?' Belichick asked an associate, referring to the championships he won as head coach of the New England Patriots,” Schefter wrote. “He won two more as defensive coordinator of the New York Giants. To another associate, he said, ‘What does a guy have to do?'”
Potential reason why Bill Belichick won't be a first ballot Hall of Famer
With Belichick a finalist along with Patriots owner Robert Kraft, one has to wonder what the outcome of his eligibility will be for this year.
The reason is that the cheating scandals of “Spygate” and “Deflategate” were apparently talked about “in deliberations among voters,” which could have led to the coach thinking that “politics kept him out.” Further, he doesn't believe this is a “reflection on his accomplishments,” as Schefter reported.
One voter said to Schefter that former Buffalo Bills general manager Bill Polian said that Belichick should “wait a year” because of “Spygate.” At any rate, it remains to be seen when Belichick gets in, though his resume is vast.
