Bill Belichick advances once again as Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist after first-ballot snub in 2026

Bill Belichick is back where he was last year, as he was among the five coaches that advanced in the process to potentially be elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

No one expected Belichick to still be on the ballot at this point, though, believing he deserved to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. After all, he has the second-most wins by a head coach of all time, and some believe he is the greatest coach to ever grace an NFL sideline.

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But, despite his many accolades and reverence in the sport, Belichick didn’t make the cut on his first ballot, sending the football world into massive debate and many of his former players speaking out in disgust. Belichick himself was "puzzled" and "disappointed" he wasn’t a first-ballot Hall of Famer, per ESPN.

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New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick pre-game against the Jets at MetLife Stadium on Oct. 21, 2019. (Robert Deutsch/USA TODAY Sports)

One year later, Belichick could, and should, be in the Hall of Fame Class of 2027, as the governing body announced that next step for him and four other coaches on Thursday.

Joining Belichick are great former coaches Tom Coughlin, Dan Reeves, Mike Holmgren and Mike Shanahan from the group of 14 who were considered. The coaching subcommittee will meet next on Nov. 17 to pick one from the final five to be presented in front of the voting committee for the 2027 class.

Belichick moved on in 2026, and it’s highly expected he will do so again. So, the question becomes: will he now get at least the 40 votes needed to be placed in Canton for eternity?

This is a head coach who tallied six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots, while owning two prior to that with the New York Giants as their defensive coordinator. There’s no question his resume speaks for itself, and he even told an associate, per ESPN, "Six Super Bowls isn’t enough?"

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Head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels looks on during the second half of a game at Kenan Stadium on Sept. 1, 2025, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

After Belichick was snubbed, the Hall of Fame overhauled its selection process, cutting the voting committee down from 50 to 28, while ending formal presentations and merging the senior category with modern era.

The Hall says the changes are intended to "improve its selection process."

"The Hall continually reviews its bylaws to ensure the selection process reflects the highest standards of integrity and the magnitude of election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame," said Hall of Fame president Jim Porter in September. "There is no more important task at the Hall of Fame than the election of each new class."

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New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick on the sidelines in 2023. (Robert Deutsch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Belichick is currently in his second season as the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels, who sit 4-4 on the year.