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The stunning development came ahead of the scheduled announcement during Super Bowl activities next week in Santa Clara, California.<\/p>\n
Belichick was notified Friday that he would not be enshrined in Canton, Ohio, this summer. Sources told the Worldwide Leader that the former Patriots and current North Carolina football coach was \u201cpuzzled\u201d and \u201cdisappointed\u201d by the result.<\/p>\n
The legendary football coach is even said to have asked an associate, \u201cSix Super Bowls isn\u2019t enough?\u201d<\/p>\n
Belichick owns a coaching record in the NFL of 333-178, which includes the playoffs, making him second behind only Don Shula in career wins.<\/p>\n
Belichick led the Patriots to six Super Bowl titles during his 24 seasons as head coach, which also included 17 division titles, nine conference championships and 266 regular-season wins.<\/p>\n
He owns another two Super Bowl rings from his time as a defensive coordinator with the Giants under Bill Parcells.<\/p>\n
One person told ESPN that Belichick doesn\u2019t think that the vote was a \u201creflection on his accomplishments\u201d and that \u201cpolitics kept him out\u201d of Canton.<\/p>\n
Maye leads Patriots to Superbowl LX | 04:27<\/p>\n
Tuesday\u2019s report suggested some voters declined to back Belichick because the Spygate and Deflategate scandals cast a dark shadow over the Patriots championship run.<\/p>\n
One voter told the outlet that former Bills and Colts general manager Bill Polian, who is on the Hall of Fame voting committee, had believed that Belichick should \u201cwait a year\u201d before he gets inducted into the Hall as punishment for the 2007 Spygate cheating scandal.<\/p>\n
The Pats ended up losing a first-round draft pick as a result of Spygate and the team and Belichick faced fines, with the NFL docking the head coach $250,000 at the time. <\/p>\n
In comments to Sports Illustrated\u2019s Matt Verderame, Polian denied the accusation that he did not vote for Belichick.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s totally and categorically untrue. I voted for him,\u201d Polian told SI.<\/p>\n
The Pro Football Hall of Fame voting committee is made up of veteran NFL reporters along with figures from the game of football.<\/p>\n
The 73-year-old coach had been grouped with a contributor finalist and three senior finalists, and voters were asked to select three from the group, with the person receiving the highest votes getting inducted into the Hall.<\/p>\n
Two others can also gain enshrinement if they receive at least 40 votes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe only explanation [for the outcome] was the cheating stuff,\u201d one voter told ESPN. \u201cIt really bothered some of the guys.\u201d<\/p>\n
Aussie punter’s HUGE play | 00:44<\/p>\n
Ironically, the contributor finalist that Belichick was up against: Patriots owner Robert Kraft.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s unclear if Kraft received the necessary votes to earn his way into Canton.<\/p>\n
Belichick and the Patriots parted ways after the 2023 season. Following a year away from coaching, he returned to the sideline as head coach at the University of North Carolina for the 2025 season.<\/p>\n
He led the Tar Heels to a 4-8 record in his first year as a college football head coach.<\/p>\n
The season was marred by plenty of off-the-field drama that started before a ball was ever kicked off, surrounding his relationship with 24-year-old former cheerleader Jordon Hudson, and questions persisted about whether Belichick would remain with the UNC football program.<\/p>\n
Reactions to the news were overwhelmingly expressing shock and dismay over the vote.<\/p>\n
Everyone from ex-NFLers, like J.J. Watt and Ryan Clark to sports personalities such as Dick Vitale to current players chimed in.<\/p>\n
\u201cInsane\u2026 don\u2019t even understand how this could be possible,\u201d Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes reacted on social media.<\/p>\n