North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick is coming off his first official season as a college coach. Things didn’t exactly go his or the Tar Heels’ way in Year 1, as UNC finished 4-8.
The NFL side of his résumé hasn’t gotten any smoother, either. The former New England Patriots coach — an eight-time Super Bowl champion with 302 career wins, third most all time — was not voted in as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
“In voting earlier this month, Belichick fell short of the 40 out of 50 votes needed for induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame during his first year of eligibility,” sources told ESPN.
Belichick was reportedly “puzzled” and “disappointed” after falling short of the 80 percent threshold.
Since the announcement, several major names across football have weighed in — including Colorado head coach Deion Sanders.
“The Disrespect to Coach Belichick is straight out IGNORANT! He’s arguably the BEST NFL COACH TO EVER COACH THE GAME! How quickly we forget the impact Coach Belichick made on all of us! @nfl WOW! #CoachPrime,” Sanders posted on X .
Sanders is rarely shy about sharing his opinion, and this time was no different. But he wasn’t the only one who had something to say.
Bill Belichick Gets Support After HOF Snubbing
Belichick has long been one of the most polarizing figures in the NFL, and that hasn’t changed since he took over the North Carolina program. Still, plenty of people around the sport believe his résumé made the decision an easy one.
“Regardless of your opinion of Bill Belichick, him not being a first ballot Hall of Famer is a disgrace — and a direct indictment on the Hall of Fame itself. Just an absolute joke,” NFL insider Jordan Schultz wrote.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes , who faced Belichick multiple times during his career, also posted his reaction.
“Insane… don’t even understand how this could be possible,” Mahomes wrote.
With Belichick now entering another year at UNC, the reaction to the Hall of Fame news likely isn’t going away any time soon.
Deion Sanders Will Have to Wait to Be Joined By Bill Belichick
If anyone understands what greatness looks like, it’s Sanders. The Colorado head coach is widely considered one of the best cornerbacks of all time, and his NFL career earned him a first-ballot Hall of Fame induction in 2011 .
Sanders was a nine-time All-Pro and an eight-time Pro Bowl selection across 14 seasons. He won two Super Bowls — one with the Dallas Cowboys and another with the San Francisco 49ers .
Sanders also brought plenty of flash to the field, and at times carried the same polarizing reputation Belichick has had throughout his coaching career. Still, he cleared the bar for a first-ballot selection without issue.
That’s what makes the Belichick decision stand out even more. For many around the sport, it wasn’t a debate on whether he was a first ballot Hall of Famer. The backlash on this matter will only continue to grow, not to mention drastically affect the legitimacy of the Hall of Fame itself.
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