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Despite an ugly ending, Robert Kraft wants his former head coach etched into New England Patriots’ immortality.
Bill Belichick coached the Patriots for 24 seasons, winning six Super Bowls during his reign that began after he infamously resigned as the “HC of the NYJ.”
The organization honored Tom Brady with a statue earlier this year, despite his tumultuous ending with the franchise. However, Brady and Kraft seem to have a solid relationship since Brady retired. Brady and Belichick, not so much.
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New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and Patriots owner Robert Kraft watch the field during the warm-up period before a game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Gillette Stadium. (Eric Canha/USA TODAY Sports)
The Belichick-Kraft dynamic also does not seem to be all butterflies and rainbows, but Kraft knows how much Belichick meant to the organization, and wants a statue of Belichick “right next to” Brady’s.
“When that great 20-year era ended, it was always my intention to commission a statue for both Tommy and Bill when their respective careers were over, playing and coaching. When Bill’s coaching career ends, we look forward to sitting down with him and having a statue made to be right next to Tommy,” Kraft told CBS News.
Owner Robert Kraft (L) speaks to the media as head coach Bill Belichick (R) of the New England Patriots looks on during a press conference at Gillette Stadium on Jan. 11, 2024, in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
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Belichick, Brady, and Kraft all attended Brady’s Patriots Hall of Fame induction ceremony last year.
Belichick and the Pats parted ways after the 2023 season, which marked the third consecutive year that England missed the playoffs. Jerod Mayo replaced him in 2024, but he was let go for Mike Vrabel after just one season.
The 73-year-old has since joined the University of North Carolina, but his Tar Heels’ debut was one to forget, as TCU defeated them, 48-14. It was the most points ever given up by a Belichick-coached team.
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick announces he is leaving the team during a press conference at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Jan. 11, 2024. (JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)
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Belichick’s deal is for five years.
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