Bill Belichick is back in the running for Canton, with another vote standing between the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach and a return to the final ballot. The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced Thursday that Belichick is among five coaches advancing in the selection process for its Class of 2027. Tom Coughlin, Mike Holmgren, Dan Reeves and Mike Shanahan also remain under consideration after an initial field of 14 nominees.
The Coach Subcommittee will meet virtually Nov. 17 to choose one candidate for the full Selection Committee to consider early next year. Belichick has not secured that spot, and advancing from this group would still leave him needing election. He reached the final ballot for the Class of 2026 but was not elected in his first year of eligibility.
That class consisted entirely of players, with Drew Brees, Roger Craig, Larry Fitzgerald, Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri earning induction. Belichick addressed the omission during a May appearance on “Hang Out with Sean Hannity,” offering little speculation about the decision. I didn’t have a say in it,” Belichick said.
Belichick compiled 333 wins as an NFL head coach, including an NFL-record 31 postseason victories. His six Super Bowl championships as New England’s head coach are also a league record, and he won two more titles as the New York Giants’ defensive coordinator. During his 24 seasons leading the Patriots, New England won 17 AFC East titles and reached nine Super Bowls.
He was named AP NFL Coach of the Year three times, in 2003, 2007 and 2010. This year’s decision will come under a revised selection system. The Hall announced in September that its committee would shrink from 50 members to 28, with 25 voting participants and three nonvoting participants.
The annual selection meeting will also return to an in-person format. Belichick, meanwhile, remains North Carolina’s head coach. The Tar Heels are 4-4 in his second season and visit UConn on Saturday after consecutive losses to Syracuse and Miami.
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