Bill Belichick Makes History For Most Consecutive Seasons As NFL Coach
BOSTON (CBS) -- Bill Belichick's first NFL job came all the way back in 1975, when he took a low-wage assistant position on Ted Marchibroda's Baltimore Colts staff. Belichick liked it, so he stuck around the NFL for a while -- longer, in fact, than anybody else ever has.
The New England Patriots released their 2020 media guide on Tuesday, and it noted at the top of Bill Belichick's biography that he passed Dick LeBeau for the most consecutive seasons coaching in the NFL.
For Belichick, the 2020 season will be his 46th straight year as an NFL coach. LeBeau coached 45 NFL seasons.
The note also mentioned that only one other coach -- Tom Moore -- coached for 40 or more consecutive seasons in NFL history.
Of course, Belichick stands out compared to both LeBeau and Moore for his role as a head coach for what will be 26 years this season. With five years running the Cleveland Browns and 21 years with the Patriots (once the upcoming season begins), Belichick has made a distinct mark on the league while possessing an unrivaled state of stability for the Patriots franchise.
LeBeau was a head coach for just three seasons, after getting promoted in Cincinnati early in the 2000 season. As a head coach, he led the Bengals to a 12-33 record. Moore, who famously manned the sideline as Peyton Manning's offensive coordinator for all of those seasons in Indianapolis, was never a head coach in the NFL.
Belichick's latest ascent in the NFL record books is not particularly surprising, and it also might become a trend in the coming years. The longer Belichick continues to coach in Foxboro, the more accolades and records he'll continue to rack up. And with two of his sons on the coaching staff, the 68-year-old Belichick has shown no indication that he plans to leave the game any time soon.
