Bill Belichick and Patriots Part Ways: Year-by-Year Timeline of the Coach’s Career

In 24 seasons at New England’s helm, the legendary coach put together one of the most successful dynasties in sports history—until it all came crashing down.

Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots are parting ways after 24 seasons, ending one of the most successful coaching head coaching stints in NFL history and all major sports leagues in the United States.

Belichick—with the help of quarterback Tom Brady—guided the Patriots to six Super Bowls, nine AFC championships and 17 AFC East titles, including 11 consecutive division crowns. But the Patriots missed the postseason three of the past four seasons, and the final two were tumultuous with a poor offense.

Here’s a year-by-year look at how the Patriots performed under Belichick from 2000 to ’23. 

2000

Record: 5–11, fifth in AFC East, no playoffs

Belichick was hired by the Patriots in late January.  :: Damian Strohmeyer/Sports Illustrated

After four years as coach of the Cleveland Browns (where he won a single playoff game), and a brief stint with the New York Jets, Belichick struggled in his first season with the Patriots. New England started 0–4 and never recovered, creeping back to 2–4 before losing four straight to finish any playoff hopes. Drew Bledsoe started all 16 games and threw 17 touchdowns against 13 interceptions, earning a $100 million extension the following offseason.

The Patriots’ offense was essentially the combination of receivers Terry Glenn and Troy Brown, who combined for 162 receptions, 1,907 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Defensively, New England finished 17th in points allowed. The unit was led by linebacker Willie McGinest, who finished with six sacks.

2001

Record: 11–5, first in AFC East, won Super Bowl

The Patriots’ dynasty began here. New England started the season with low expectations, having gone without a playoff victory since 1997.

However, everything changed in Week 2 when the New York Jets’ Mo Lewis knocked Bledsoe out for two months on a hit along the sideline. In came Tom Brady, who started the most decorated career in NFL history that September evening.

Brady and New England finished the regular season with six consecutive wins, earning the AFC’s second seed. Buoyed by the now infamous Tuck Rule fiasco, the Patriots handled the Raiders in the final game at Foxboro Stadium before beating the Steelers at Heinz Field with the help of Bledsoe, who entered in the second quarter for an ailing Brady.

In Super Bowl XXXVI, New England stunned the Rams, 20–17, with Adam Vinatieri winning the game with a 48-yard field goal as time expired.

2002

Record: 9–7, second in AFC East, no playoffs

After the defense finished sixth defensively in 2001, the unit regressed to the mean in ’02, falling to 17th. The result was the Patriots starting 3–0 before losing four straight, then vacillating between improvement and faltering, keeping New England from the playoffs.

Belichick had to prove his New England team and the Super Bowl title wasn’t a fluke :: Heinz Kluetmeier/Sports Illustrated

The Patriots saw Brady author a terrific year after having a Cinderella season, throwing 28 touchdowns while totaling 3,764 yards. Brady’s top target was Troy Brown, who caught 97 passes for 890 yards and three scores.

However, the dominant story line coming out of Foxborough was the question of whether the Patriots were a one-year wonder, or whether they had sustained a Super Bowl hangover. 

2003

Record: 14–2, first in AFC East, won Super Bowl

As it turns out, the Patriots simply had a Super Bowl hangover the year before

New England put together one of the most dominant years of the Belichick era, finishing 14–2 and earning the AFC’s top seed for the first time in Brady’s career. While the offense finished 12th in points, the defense rebounded from a down year to lead the NFL in points allowed, surrendering only 14.9 per game.

In the postseason, Brady and the Patriots handled the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts in the AFC playoffs before beating the Carolina Panthers with another Vinatieri field goal, once again as time expired.

2004

Record: 14–2, first in AFC East, won Super Bowl

This Patriots team did something no team has done since: went back-to-back. After winning 12 consecutive regular-season games to end the 2003 season, New England won its first six games in the ’04 campaign before finally being knocked off by the Pittsburgh Steelers and rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

After finishing 14–2 once again, the Patriots were the No. 2 seed as Pittsburgh went 15–1. In the postseason, New England once again handled Peyton Manning & Co. before going to Heinz Field and blasting the Steelers in a rematch.

The Patriots’ 34 wins in 2003 and ’04 mark the highest two-year win total in NFL history :: Peter Read Miller/Sports Illustrated

In Super Bowl XXXIX, the Patriots beat Andy Reid’s Philadelphia Eagles in Jacksonville, cementing their status as a dynasty.

2005

Record: 10–6, first in AFC East, lost divisional round

The only franchise to ever win three consecutive championships is the Green Bay Packers, who did it twice (from 1929 to ’31 and ’65 to ’67). The Patriots tried to join them in 2005 but ultimately fell short.

New England never did better than two games over .500, yet it still qualified for the playoffs as a division winner for the third consecutive year. In the postseason, the Patriots had to play on wild-card weekend for the first time since 1997, beating the Jacksonville Jaguars.

In the divisional round, New England traveled to Denver and fell to Jake Plummer and the Broncos, 27–13. 

2006

Record: 12–4, first in AFC East, lost AFC championship

Once again, the Patriots won the AFC East without a strong challenge from the Miami Dolphins, New York Jets or Buffalo Bills.

Both the offense and defense finished in the top 10 for points, with Brady throwing for 3,529 yards and 24 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. On the ground, Corey Dillon ran for 812 yards and 13 scores in the final year of his storied career.

Defensively, Rosevelt Colvin III led the team with 8.5 sacks, while 2003 first-round pick Ty Warren chipped in with 7.5. The result was a defense that allowed more than 24 points only once in the regular season.

In the playoffs, the Patriots knocked off the Jets and top-seeded San Diego Chargers before taking a 21–3 lead in the AFC championship game at Indianapolis, only to watch the Colts rally for a 38–34 win.

2007

Record: 16–0, first in AFC East, lost Super Bowl

Even without a championship, the 2007 Patriots were arguably one of the greatest teams to grace a football field.

Belichick won his second Coach of the Year award in 2007 :: Al Tielemans/Sports Illustrated

In the winter, New England added a slew of new, high-end talent for Brady, including wide receiver Randy Moss and slot extraordinaire Wes Welker. The result is one of the best offenses ever assembled.

Moss caught an NFL-record 23 touchdown passes, while Brady threw for 50. The Patriots scored an incredible 589 points, averaging 36.8 per game. Meanwhile, the defense finished fourth in scoring, helping New England become the second team in the Super Bowl era to have an unbeaten regular season.

In Super Bowl XLII, the New York Giants stunned the world, winning 17–14 on the back of David Tyree’s famous Helmet Catch.

2008

Record: 11–5, second in AFC East, no playoffs

After the most disappointing loss of the Brady-Belichick era, the Patriots aimed at getting back to the Super Bowl. That dream lasted all but one half of Week 1, when Kansas City Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard hit Brady low, resulting in a torn ACL for the quarterback.

Without Brady, and with Matt Cassel under center instead, New England was able to win 11 games. However, that wasn’t enough to earn a postseason berth in the loaded AFC.

As for Cassel, he was traded the following offseason to Kansas City for a second-round pick, where he washed out after four uneven years, including a Pro Bowl berth in 2010.

2009

Record: 10–6, first in AFC East, lost wild-card round

Despite Welker and Moss combining for more than 2,500 receiving yards, the Patriots won only 10 regular-season games.

The 2009 New England team became the first to go above .500 for nine consecutive seasons in over 15 years :: John Biever/Sports Illustrated

Regardless, New England found its way back to the AFC East penthouse, winning three of its last four games on its way back to the postseason. In his first season back from a torn ACL, Brady threw for 4,398 yards and 28 touchdowns, earning Pro Bowl honors.

Yet in the playoffs, the Baltimore Ravens came into Foxborough for a wild-card matchup and smoked the Patriots from the start, as Ray Rice ran for an 80-yard touchdown on the game’s first play from scrimmage. Baltimore won 33–14 before going on to the AFC title game.

2010

Record: 14–2, first in AFC East, lost divisional round

This was arguably the best team, outside of the unbeaten squad, in the Belichick era not to win the Super Bowl.

Brady was at his peak, throwing for 3,900 yards and 36 touchdowns against four interceptions. Meanwhile, no receiver went for 1,000 yards, but running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis ran for 1,008 yards and 13 scores. Despite the offense not having an elite performer on the outside, the unit scored at least 31 points on nine occasions.

Yet in the postseason, New England sustained a stunning loss at Gillette Stadium after earning home field advantage, losing to Mark Sanchez and the Jets in the divisional round.

2011

Record: 13–3, first in AFC East, lost Super Bowl

Once again, the offense led the way.

The Patriots began the season with five consecutive 30-point games, securing an eventual dozen such contests throughout the year. Brady was sublime once more, throwing for 5,235 yards and 39 touchdowns, while tight end Rob Gronkowski earned first-team All-Pro status with 90 catches, 1,327 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Defensively, New England was average, ranking 15th in points allowed. Andre Carter and Mark Anderson each tallied 10 sacks to lead the team, while corner Kyle Arrington had seven interceptions.

Belichick is the first NFL head coach to lead a team to three straight 500-point seasons, from 2010 to ’12 :: Simon Bruty/Sports Illustrated

In the postseason, the Patriots destroyed Tim Tebow and the Broncos before squeaking by the Ravens in the AFC title game. However, in Super Bowl XLVI, the Giants once again got the best of Belichick’s team, winning 21–17.

2012

Record: 12–4, first in AFC East, lost AFC championship

The Patriots continued their offensive dominance by leading the league in points scored and yards gained.

But they had a slow start to the season, with a modest 3–3 record, which included a loss to the Seahawks and a then rookie Russell Wilson. From there, New England went on to win nine of its final 10 regular-season games.

The Patriots crushed the Texans in the divisional round before falling short again to the Ravens in the AFC championship game. With nearly a decade gone by without a Super Bowl, frustration began to mount for Belichick and Brady, who threw for 4,827 yards, 34 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Stevan Ridley led the team with 1,263 rushing yards. Welker added a team-high 118 receptions for 1,354 yards. But the player who really caught the Patriots’ attention after finishing sixth for receiving yards was Julian Edelman, who contributed 235 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

The Patriots improved defensively and received promising performances from rookies Chandler Jones and Dont’a Hightower, the team’s two first-round picks. 

2013

Record: 12–4, first in AFC East, lost AFC championship

This was the start of the Patriots’ third phase under Belichick and Brady.

It was a bit of a down season in terms of statistics, but that was expected with the new pieces and major adjustments the team made that eventually paid off in coming seasons.

Most notably, the Patriots didn’t pay up to retain Welker, who surpassed 500 receptions during his dynamic six seasons in New England. That opened the door for Edelman, who led the team with 1,056 receiving yards, 105 catches and six receiving touchdowns. Brady added another 4,000-yard passing season, and the offense had a productive rushing tandem with Ridley and LeGarrette Blount, who spent the prior three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

On the defensive side, cornerback Aqib Talib (another former Buccaneer who made his way to New England) delivered a Pro Bowl season. Cornerback Logan Ryan, a 2013 third-round pick, had a team-high five interceptions.

But, again, the Patriots had postseason disappointment, beating the Colts in the divisional round before losing to the Broncos in the AFC title game.

2014

Record: 12–4, first in AFC East, won Super Bowl

The Patriots finally returned to the mountaintop, 10 seasons after beating the Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX.

Again, the Patriots added a notable former Buccaneer, signing Hall of Fame cornerback Darrelle Revis hours after he was released by Tampa Bay. Revis fit perfectly into Belichick’s defense and regained his All-Pro form. (Ironically, the Buccaneers would later acquire a prominent former Patriot to help them win the Super Bowl.)

Gronkowski also was named a first-team All-Pro, recording a team-high 1,124 receiving yards with 12 touchdowns. Brady, whose backup was rookie Jimmy Garoppolo, recorded 4,109 yards, 33 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Jamie Collins racked up 115 total tackles, and special teams ace Matthew Slater made his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl.

Belichick’s fourth Super Bowl win tied the Steelers’ Chuck Noll for most by a coach :: Al Tielemans/Sports Illustrated

The Patriots beat the Ravens and Colts en route to meeting the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX, a game best remembered for Malcolm Butler’s late interception against Wilson in the end zone. That was Butler’s first career pick—the undrafted rookie was mostly a rotational defensive back.

2015

Record: 12–4, first in AFC East, lost AFC championship

The Patriots were positioned to repeat as champions with a top-10 offense and defense.

New England didn’t have Revis after the team declined a $20 million option; the cornerback returned to the Jets on a five-year, $70 million contract instead. This allowed more playing time for Butler, who made the Pro Bowl.

Brady threw for 4,770 yards with 36 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Edelman and Gronkowski were again Brady’s go-to pass catchers, but he also received help from second-year running back James White, who recorded 40 catches for 410 yards and four touchdowns.

The Patriots beat the Chiefs in the divisional round before losing to the Broncos in the AFC title game.

2016

Record: 14–2, first in AFC East, won Super Bowl

After lengthy legal battles, Brady was forced to miss the first four games of the season because he was suspended for his alleged involvement in Deflategate.

Technically, Brady was supposed to serve his suspension the season before, but multiple appeals delayed the process. Garoppolo started the first two games of the season, and Jacoby Brissett started the other two after Garoppolo sustained an injury.

Once Brady returned, he played lights out, with an absurd 28–to–2 touchdown-interception ratio during the final 12 games of the regular season. Brady continued his dominance in the postseason, too, as the Patriots defeated the Houston Texans and Steelers to return to the Super Bowl.

Just two years later, a Super Bowl LI win officially put Belichick ahead of Noll :: Simon Bruty/Sports Illustrated

New England and the Atlanta Falcons delivered one of the best games in Super Bowl history, as the Patriots erased a 28–3 deficit to capture Brady and Belichick’s fifth Super Bowl together. Brady threw for 466 yards and was named Super Bowl LI MVP.

2017

Record: 13–3, first in AFC East, lost Super Bowl

The Patriots were again involved in a Super Bowl classic, but came out on the losing end of this one.

Brady had one of his best seasons of his decorated career, throwing for 4,577 yards, 32 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also won his third career MVP. But Brady and the Patriots fell to backup quarterback Nick Foles and the Eagles in Super Bowl LII, which is best remembered for the Philly Special.

New England ranked first in yards gained and second in points scored. Brandin Cooks recorded 65 catches, 1,082 yards and seven touchdowns in his lone season with the Patriots. Edelman missed the entire season due to a torn ACL in the preseason.

On defense, the unit ranked fifth in points allowed. Safety Devin McCourty had a team-high 97 total tackles. 

2018

Record: 11–5, first in AFC East, won Super Bowl

The Patriots weren’t as talented, nor did they play as well as the teams from 2016 and ’17, but they found a way to add a sixth Lombardi Trophy.

Belichick has 31 career postseason wins, the most by a head coach in NFL history :: Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated

The Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII, a 13–3 snoozefest that was nowhere near as exciting as the first time these two teams met in the big game 17 years before.

But Brady and Gronkowski did deliver a memorable moment when the duo connected for a 29-yard completion midway through the fourth quarter to set up the game’s lone touchdown. Edelman recorded 10 catches for 141 yards and was named Super Bowl MVP, one year after tearing his ACL.

Cornerback Stephon Gilmore had a dynamic second season in New England and was named a first-team All-Pro. Edge rusher Kyle Van Noy and defensive back Patrick Chung were also instrumental in the defensive success.

2019

Record: 12–4, first in AFC East, lost wild-card round

Brady’s final season with Belichick and the Patriots ended with a wild-card loss to the Titans.

But it wasn’t surprising that the quarterback and team decided to part ways after 20 seasons, considering the many stories that came out of the growing tension between the legendary coach and signal-caller.

Brady threw for 4,057 yards with 24 touchdowns and eight interceptions. The Patriots opened the season with an 8–0 record before splitting their final eight regular-season games.

Gilmore was again named first-team All-Pro and captured the Defensive Player of the Year award. Belichick’s defense ranked first in points and yards allowed. 

2020

Record: 7–9, third in AFC East, no playoffs

With Brady in Tampa Bay, the Patriots missed the postseason for the first time since 2008.

New England surprisingly signed 2015 MVP Cam Newton a few weeks before training camp. Newton didn’t have much trouble beating out Brian Hoyer and Jarrett Stidham for the starting quarterback job. But the Patriots’ offense then ranked among the worst in the league.

Newton threw for only 2,657 yards, eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 15 games as the starter. He also added 592 rushing yards with 12 touchdowns. Newton’s leading receiver was Jakobi Meyers, who recorded 59 catches for 729 yards in his second NFL season. Damien Harris had a team-high 691 rushing yards with two touchdowns. 

The Patriots went 19 consecutive seasons with a winning record under Belichick ... until 2020 :: Erick Rasco/Sports Illustrated

The defense was much better than the offense, with a stout secondary featuring Gilmore, McCourty, Jonathan Jones, Adrian Phillips and J.C. Jackson, (who had nine interceptions that year).

The Patriots faced a four-game losing streak after starting the season 2–1, and also had a three-game losing streak in December. 

2021

Record: 10–7, second in AFC East, lost wild-card round

Belichick and the Patriots had a bounce-back season after watching Brady hoist the Lombardi Trophy during his first year with the Buccaneers.

The offense was respectable with rookie quarterback Mac Jones, and the defense flourished as one of the best units in the NFL.

New England selected Jones with the No. 15 pick in the draft, and the rookie competed with Newton for the starting job throughout training camp. But the team released Newton before the regular season, and Jones started the entire year, throwing for 3,801 yards with 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

The Patriots had a seven-game winning streak in the middle of the season and clinched a wild-card spot. But New England was crushed in the postseason by Buffalo, 47–17.

It was a disappointing finish, but the Patriots had plenty to be happy about, especially the promising rookie quarterback.

2022

Record: 8–9, third in AFC East, no playoffs

Jones took several steps back in his second NFL season, as the Patriots’ offense regressed without offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who left to become the Raiders’ head coach.

Belichick made the head-scratching decision to have Joe Judge and Matt Patricia split the offense, leaving many to wonder who actually called the offensive plays. This led to a chaotic season for Jones, who threw for 2,997 yards with 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

At one point, Jones was benched for rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe, who played in four games and started two. Tension grew when Jones questioned the coaching and had a sideline outburst.

The defense was still productive, but it took a few steps back. Edge rusher Matthew Judon, the team’s prize offseason acquisition, recorded a team-high 15.5 sacks. Running back Rhamondre Stevenson was a pleasant surprise, recording 1,040 rushing yards. 

2023

Record: 4–13, last in AFC East, no playoffs

Belichick remained committed to Jones heading into 2023, and attempted to fix his mistakes by hiring Bill O’Brien as the offensive coordinator.

O’Brien had plenty of success as an offensive assistant during his first stint in New England and went on to produce productive offenses as the head coach of the Texans. But O’Brien failed to get on the same page with Jones, who continued to get worse on the field.

The Patriots benched Jones for good before Week 13 against the Chargers. New England was 2–9 at that point, and it was becoming clear that Belichick was on the way out. Zappe started in the Patriots’ remaining six games of the regular season, helping the team to a 2–4 record across that stretch.

New England finished 2023 ranking in the league’s bottom three for total offensive yards and scoring more points than only the 2–15 Panthers. After a regular-season finale loss to the Jets, 17–3, the clock was ticking for Kraft to make a decision on his head coach. Four days later, the owner did just that, letting Belichick leave with one year left on his contract and without seeking compensation from whichever team gets him next—ending one of the legendary eras in sports history. 

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