Bill Belichick: Why Super Bowl Win Would Make Him the Best NFL Coach Ever

Bill Belichick is gearing his New England Patriots up for another run to the Super Bowl. 

The Pats have home field in the playoffs and are the favorite to be in Dallas representing the AFC this February.

Whenever he steps down from coaching, the 58-year-old will eventually return to his roots (his father played high school and college ball in Cleveland, Ohio) to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

And although he is certainly the greatest coach the 21st century has seen, is he the greatest coach of all time?

Here are 10 reasons why, if New England hoists the Lombardi Trophy once more, the answer will be yes. 

No. 10: Coaching Tree

The coaching tree has become a popular part of NFL nomenclature recently. Although the "Bill Walsh Coaching Tree," the "Sid Gillman Coaching Tree" and the "Paul Brown Coaching Tree" have more branches, Belichick's has blossomed nicely as well.

Charlie Weis, Romeo Crennel, Josh McDaniels, Eric Mangini and Nick Saban have all went directly from his coaching staff to prominent head coaching jobs at the college or pro level.

Although most of them haven't fared very well on their own, they are an important part of his legacy. 

And if the Pats win Super Bowl XLV, there's a great shot that one of his current assistants (maybe Pepper Johnson or Bill O'Brien) goes on to a coordinator and head coaching job in the near future.

No. 9: The Resurrection

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20 Sep 1992: Cleveland Browns head coach Bill Belichick looks on during a game against the Los Angeles Raiders at Cleveland Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. The Browns won the game, 28-16.

No other coach in NFL history has ever experienced the same type of rebirth that Belichick did.

After somewhat incorrectly being viewed as an abject failure as the Cleveland Browns head coach (in 1994 they had the NFL's best defense, went 11-5, and won a playoff game against his former boss, Bill Parcells), Belichick had to go back to the end of the line as an assistant for five seasons before taking over in New England. 

Other coaches have won Super Bowls when given a second chance. But only Mike Shanahan and Don Shula won multiple titles in their follow-up gig. Shanahan never got a fair shot under Al Davis in Los Angeles, and Shula wasn't let go because of failure in Baltimore. 

For Belichick to reinvent himself and win four Super Bowls is an incredible story, one David Halberstam detailed in full in his last book, The Education of a Coach.

No. 8: Regular Season Record

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ORCHARD PARK, NY - DECEMBER 26: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots looks on in a match against the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium on December 26, 2010 in Orchard Park, New York. New England won 34-3. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Get

Belichick has made his name by winning Super Bowls, and a fourth would only add to that. But even if he doesn't claim the title in February, he will have one of the most impressive resumes ever. 

Since taking over the Patriots in 2000, Belichick has a 126-50 record for a .716 winning percentage. Only John Madden and George Seifert have a better wining percentage amongst coaches who spent 125 games or more with the same team. 

And (although it's skewed since the NFL switched to a 16-game scheduled in 1978) Belichick does own the record for winning 14 or more games four times. 

No. 7: Offensive Versatility

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FOXBORO, MA - DECEMBER 12: Corey Dillon #28 of the New England Patriots carries the ball during the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Gillette Stadium on December 12, 2004 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. The Patriots won 35-28. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty

Belichick's greatest asset might be his ability to form a gameplan tailored to the talent on his roster.

He won a Super Bowl in 2001 with Antoine Smith as the team's primary offensive weapon. 

He won a Super Bowl in 2003 with Tom Brady and the wide receivers stepping up and carrying the bulk of the offensive load. 

He won a Super Bowl in 2004 with Corey Dillion as the team's primary offensive weapon.

He completed a perfect regular season with a supposedly past-his-prime Randy Moss catching an NFL record 23 touchdown passes. 

And he might win a Super Bowl in 2010 with Brady having the finest season of his career. 

No. 6: Defensive Genius

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FOXBORO, MA - JANUARY 02: Devin McCourty #32 of the New England Patriots is congratulated by teammate Jerod Mayo #51 after McCourty intercepted a pass by the Miami Dolphins on January 2, 2011 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/

The three Patriots teams that won Super Bowls XXXVI, XXXVIII and XXXIX featured a consistent, mostly veteran group on defense. Aside from a young Richard Seymour, there was Mike Vrabel, Willie McGinest, Ty Law, Tedy Bruschi, Ted Johnson and Larry Izzo. 

But if the Pats win the Super Bowl this year, it will be with a slew of young, fairly raw players.

Devin McCourtey, Brandon Spikes, Brandon Deaderick and Jermaine Cunningham are all rookies.

Kyle Arrington and Patrick Chung were rookies last year, while the Pats' two key linebackers, Jerod Mayo (who led the NFL in tackles) and Gary Guyton, are third-year talents.

If Belichick wins the title with mostly that collection of youth, it would be an incredible achievement and a testament to his ability to scheme and coach young players. 

No. 5: Super Bowl Appearances

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TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 27: Cornerback Mark Collins #25, head coach Bill Parcells, cornerback Everson Walls #28 and assistant coach Bill Belichick of the New York Giants stand on the sideline against the Buffalo Bills during Super Bowl XXV at Tampa Stadium o

A trip to Arlington this February would be his eighth appearance in the Super Bowl.

The first two came as wins as an assistant with the Giants in 1987 and 1991, followed by a loss as an assistant with the Patriots in 1997.

And Super Bowl XLV would be his fifth with the Patriots—three wins and the heartbreaking loss in Super Bowl XLII.

In the past quarter century, nearly one-third of the Super Bowls have featured Bill Belichick on the sidelines. 

No. 4: Playoff Record

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - SEPTEMBER 19: Coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots is seen during a game against the New York Jets at the New Meadowlands Stadium on September 19, 2010 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Jets defeated the Patriots 28 -

If the Patriots win Super Bowl XLV, it would be Belichick's 18th playoff win as a head coach in the NFL. 

That would leave only two men ahead of him: Don Shula with 20 and Tom Landry with 20. 

Considering the fact that Landry was in charge for 29 years in Dallas and Shula spent 33 combined years at the helm of the Dolphins and Colts, Belichick's record is a bit more impressive. He's finishing up just his 16th season as an NFL head coach. 

No. 3: Right beside Chuck Noll

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UNDATED: HEAD COACH CHUCK NOLL OF THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS ON THE SIDELINES DURING HIS 200TH CAREER WIN (OVER THE PATRIOTS) AT THREE RIVERS STADIUM IN PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA. Mandatory Credit: Rick Stewart/ALLSPORT

For all the great coaches in the game's history, only one man has four Super Bowl titles: Charles Henry Noll. 

Noll's Steelers won four Super Bowls in the span of six years. If Belichick wins the Super Bowl this February, that would mean he's won four in the span of 10 years. 

Noll's record of four-in-six is one of the greatest achievements of the modern age. But in some ways, Belichick's four-in-a-decade is more impressive.

Virtually every one of Noll's players was in their prime from 1974 to 1979. That isn't the case for Belichick. Many of his players were at the end of their career when they won the Super Bowl or at the very beginning.

Willie McGinnest was 33 when they won Super Bowl XXXIX, and Roman Phifer was 36. Otis Smith was 36 when the Pats won their first Super Bowl. Ted Washington was 35 when they won Super Bowl XXXVIII.

On the flip side, Tom Brady had never started an NFL game prior to the season in which the Pats won Super Bowl XXXVI. Similarly, Richard Seymour and Matt Light were rookies that year. 

In short, Belichick's had four very different rosters when he won (or will have won) four Super Bowls. There was very little change for Noll's from 1974-79. 

No. 2: Tom Brady and Who Else?

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INDIANAPOLIS - JANUARY 21: Troy Brown #80 of the New England Patriots runs the ball against the Indianapolis Colts during the AFC Championship Game on January 21, 2007 at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Dynasties have loads of Hall of Famers.

Weeb Ewbank and Don Shula's Colts of the 1950s had Johnny Unitas, Lenny Moore, Gino Marchetti, Raymond Berry, Art Donovan and Jim Parker.

Vince Lombardi's Packers of the 1960s had Bart Starr, Jim Taylor, Paul Hornung, Forrest Gregg, Willie Davis, Henry Jordan, Ray Nitschke and Willie Wood. 

Chuck Noll's Steelers of the 1970s had Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, Mike Webster, Mean Joe Greene, L.C. Greenwood, Jack Ham, Jack Lambert and Mel Blount. 

Bill Walsh's 49ers of the 1980s had Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, Fred Dean, Ronnie Lott and Steve Young. 

Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer's Cowboys of the 1990s had Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin and (eventually) Nate Newton and Deion Sanders.  

Belichick's Patriots have one clear-cut, no-brainer Hall of Fame choice: Tom Brady. Adam Vinatieri and Richard Seymour could make the Hall of Fame. Maybe even Vince Wilfork. (Remember, Belichick never won a Super Bowl with Randy Moss).

That points to a remarkable head coach. 

No. 1: Free Agency, Salary Cap Era

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ORCHARD PARK, NY - DECEMBER 26: Danny Woodhead #39 of the New England Patriots runs against the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium on December 26, 2010 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

Vince Lombardi, Chuck Noll, Bill Walsh, George Halas, Tom  Landry, Paul Brown and Bud Grant never had to deal with a salary cap. They also never had to coach in an NFL that had unrestricted free agency.

Don Shula, Joe Gibbs and Bill Parcells had to negotiate those two hurdles, but none won a Super Bowl after 1994, the year that both the cap and unrestricted free agency were in tandem. 

At a time when it is much easier for players to leave teams in search of a big contract, Belichick has retooled repeatedly, despite not being able to stockpile talent.

Through great drafting and/or great scouting and/or great teaching, Belichick has made players like Wes Welker, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Danny Woodhead, Matt Cassel, Mike Vrabel, Troy Brown and Tom Brady great at their roles.