LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 08: Detail view of the New England Patriots logo seen at the Super Bowl Experience on February 08, 2022, at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Legendary head coach Bill Belichick confirmed on Thursday that he is leaving the New England Patriots after 24 seasons, during which the franchise won six Super Bowl titles.
Standing next to Patriots owner Robert Kraft at a media conference, Belichick said the two of them had “mutually agreed” to part ways when they met following the conclusion of the 2023 season.
Kraft stressed that he and Belichick had split “amicably.”
“For me this is a day of gratitude and celebration,” said Belichick, who thanked for the Patriots’ organization for the support it had provided him over his stint with the team.
The departure brings to an end one of the greatest head coaching runs in NFL history, during which Belichick changed the fortunes of the Patriots organization.
Paired with era-defining quarterback Tom Brady, Belichick transformed the Patriots into one of the league’s juggernauts, almost consistently making deep playoff runs and contending for the Vince Lombardi Trophy, proving the benchmark for others.
“I’m incredibly grateful to have played for the best coach in the history of the NFL,” Brady said Thursday on Instagram.
But following Brady’s departure to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2019, the team has struggled in the regular season and playoffs, with New England finishing with a 4-13 record this past season.
Belichick leaves the team with a 266-120 regular-season record and going 30-12 in the playoffs, according to NFL.com.
“Coach Belichick will forever be celebrated as a legendary sports icon here in New England and I believe go in as a Pro Football Hall of Famer on the first ballot.
Why? Because he is the greatest coach of all times, which makes this decision to part ways so hard,” said Kraft at Thursday’s media conference.
