Bill Belichick is one of the winningest coaches in NFL history and the only head coach with six Super Bowl wins, but that isn't enough to make the Hall of Fame yet.
In his first year of eligibility, the former New England Patriots coach was not elected to Canton, as he did not reach the 40 votes necessary to earn an election. Belichick will remain on the ballot moving forward, but he will not be part of a prestigious group to earn a first-ballot election.
Belichick's NFL coaching career ended on a sour note, but he still has 302 regular season wins, third most all-time, and 31 playoff wins, which is the most all-time. Belichick's six Super Bowls are two more than second place, and his nine Super Bowl appearances are three more than second place.
Here's why Belichick didn't make the Hall of Fame yet.
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Why isn't Bill Belichick in the Hall of Fame?
According to ESPN, Belichick didn't get enough votes necessary to make the Hall of Fame due to his baggage in the NFL. ESPN reports that Belichick's roles in both Spygate and Deflategate kept him out on first try, as some voters may think Belichick should wait at least a year as some sort of punishment.
"The only explanation [for the outcome] was the cheating stuff," a veteran Hall voter said, via ESPN. "It really bothered some of the guys."
Additionally, the voting process for coaches is different than the process for players. Belichick is one of five owners, executives, coaches and players competing for up to three available spots separate from teh 15 modern-era finalists, forcing each voter to pick three of those five.
Along with Belichick, the other four finalists include Patriots owner Robert Kraft, former quarterback Ken Anderson, former running back Roger Craig and former defensive end L.C. Greenwood.
ESPN writer and Hall of Fame voter Mike Sando explained the difficult process of voting for these players, saying that they have an extremely high bar to clear.
I'm a HOF voter who saw Belichick as slam-dunk. I don't know anything about voting results, but if this is true, and we'll find out officially next week, the question is, how could this happen?
— Mike Sando (@SandoNFL) January 27, 2026
Before I list possibilities, understand this:
Belichick, Kraft, Craig, Anderson &… https://t.co/V8okBDsReH
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What is Spygate?
"Spygate" was a Patriots cheating scandal from the 2007 season. Then-New York Jets head coach, and former Patriots assistant, Eric Mangini tipped off the NFL to the Patriots illegally videotaping Jets' defensive signals on the sidelines.
The NFL ultimately fined Belichick $500,000, the Patriots $250,000, and forced New England to forfeit its 2008 first-round pick.
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Bill Belichick reaction to Hall of Fame snub
When Belichick found out he did not make the Hall of Fame, the veteran coach was understandably upset. ESPN reports that Belichick was "puzzled" and "disappointed" by his omission from the Hall this year, as he believes he was left out due to "politics"instead of accomplishments.
"Six Super Bowls isn't enough?" Belichick reportedly asked an associate. "What does a guy have to do?"
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First-ballot Hall of Fame coaches in NFL
Here are the hall-of-fame coaches who were elected to the Hall on first ballot.
- Don Shula
- Tom Landry
- Chuck Noll
- George Halas*
- Curly Lambeau*
Both Halas and Lambeau were elected to the Hall of Fame as part of the first ever induction class, so they weren't first-ballot in the same way the other three were. Shula is the all-time wins leader, while he, Landry and Noll have a combined eight Super Bowl titles and 15 Super Bowl appearances.
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Who are the Pro Football Hall of Fame voters?
There are 50 Hall of Fame voters that comprise of NFL writers and a media members. Among the voters are foremr Indianapolis Colts GM Bill Polian, who works for SiriusXM NFL radio and reportedly believes Belichick should wait a year to be inducted.
The full list of NFL Hall of Fame voters can be found here.
How many Super Bowls does Belichick have?
Bill Belichick has six Super Bowl victories, which is the most all-time among NFL coaches. Only Tom Brady has more Super Bowls as a player, and six of his seven came with Belichick as his head coach.
How old is Bill Belichick?
Bill Belichick is 73 years old, but is still coaching as he is about to enter his second season as North Carolina's head coach.