Bill Belichick headlines Hall of Fame's 12 coaching nominees for 2026 enshrinement
The longtime Patriots coach is one step closer to Canton
By
Bryan DeArdo
•
1 min read
Bill Belichick is among the 12 coaching nominees eligible for induction in to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2026.
Belichick, North Carolina's coach after an iconic run with the New England Patriots, is eligible for induction for the first time. The Hall of Fame recently reduced the wait period for former coaches to become eligible to just one season.
The 73-year-old Belichick certainly has the credentials to be enshrined in Canton, Ohio. A two-time Super Bowl winning defensive coordinator with the Giants, Belichick won an unprecedented six Super Bowls as the Patriots' coach from 2001-23. The Patriots also won nine AFC titles under Belichick's watch and in 2007 became only the second team in NFL history to have a perfect regular season.
Along with Belichick, fellow former Super Bowl-winning coaches Tom Coughlin (whose Giants defeated Belichick's Patriots in two Super Bowls), Mike Shanahan, Mike Holmgren and George Seifert are among the 12 nominees.
The list of nominees also includes former longtime coaches Marty Schottenheimer, Dan Reeves, Chuck Knox and Buddy Parker. Longtime assistant coaches Bill Arnsparger, Alex Gibbs and Clark Shaughnessy also made the cut.
The voters will whittle the list down to nine semifinalists next month before ultimately choosing one finalist. The Hall of Fame's voters typically makes their final selections during the week of the Super Bowl before the new class is unveiled during NFL Honors.
