Bill Belichick has advanced to a round including a dozen finalists for induction to the 2026 class of the Pro Football of Fame in the Coach category.
Belichick, who coached in the NFL from 1975 to 2023 and led the New England Patriots to six Super Bowl titles, is joined by Bill Arnsparger, Tom Coughlin, Alex Gibbs, Mike Holmgren, Chuck Knox, Buddy Parker, Dan Reeves, Marty Schottenheimer, George Seifert, Mike Shanahan, and Clark Shaughnessy.
A group of voters known as the Coach Blue-Ribbon Committee narrowed that list down from 15 names, and will vote again later this month to further whittle the group down to nine coaches.
The committee plans to meet virtually through November to pick one finalist for the Class of 2026. To be eligible, a coach must be retired from professional football for one entire season before the election cycle has begun. Although Belichick is currently head coach at the University of North Carolina, he has been out of the NFL since the end of the 2023 season.
The size of the next class can vary anywhere from four individuals to eight, and will be entered next August in Canton, Ohio.