Bill Belichick among 12 coaches still in running for 2026 Hall of Fame

Field Level Media|published: Tue 21st October, 13:12 2025

After 24 seasons as the New England Patriots' head coach, Bill Belichick is trying his hand as a TV analyst during the 2024 NFL season. He is also currently a candidate to become the next UNC football coach.

Six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach Bill Belichick is among 12 coaches advancing to the next stage of voting for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026, the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Super Bowl champions Mike Shanahan, George Seifert, Mike Holmgren and Tom Coughlin also made the list that was narrowed from 15 nominees by the Coach Blue-Ribbon Committee.

Bill Arnsparger, Alex Gibbs, Chuck Knox, Buddy Parker, Dan Reeves, Marty Schottenheimer and Clark Shaughnessy also advanced.

The list will be reduced by committee ballot to nine semifinalists later this month and will be announced in early November. The committee then will meet virtually in mid-November to select one finalist to join the Class of 2026, to be enshrined in August in Canton, Ohio.

Coaches previously had to be retired for at least five years before becoming eligible, but the Hall of Fame announced in August 2024 the rule was changed to one year.

Belichick, who parted ways with the New England Patriots in January 2024, was not eligible for the 2025 class because the selection process already had begun.

Only Don Shula (328-156-6) and George Halas (318-148-31) have more regular-season wins in NFL history than Belichick, who was 302-165 in 29 seasons with the Cleveland Browns (1991-95) and Patriots (2000-2023). He has the most career playoff wins (31-13 record) in collecting Super Bowl titles with the Patriots in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2016 and 2018.

Belichick, 73, currently is the head coach at the University of North Carolina.

Coughlin went 182-157 (including playoffs) with two Super Bowl titles during a 20-year head coaching career with the Jacksonville Jaguars (1995-2002) and New York Giants (2004-15, with championships in 2007 and 2011).

Holmgren (174-122 including postseason) coached the Green Bay Packers (1992-98) and Seattle Seahawks (1999-2008) and won the Super Bowl with the Packers in the 1996 season.

Seifert (124-67 including playoffs) won the Super Bowl twice (1989, 1994) with the San Francisco 49ers (1989-96) and also coached the Carolina Panthers (1999-2001).

Shanahan (178-144 including playoffs) guided the Denver Broncos to two Super Bowl titles (1997-98) during a span of 1995-2008 and also coached the Los Angeles Raiders (1988-89) and Washington Redskins (2010-13).

--Field Level Media

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