The New England Patriots were one of the NFL’s worst franchises until Bill Belichick showed up at the turn of the 21st Century. As such, they don’t have a long history of great head coaches.
But who are the best Patriots head coaches of all time? We ranked the top five, along with two honorable mentions.
5 Best Patriots Head Coaches of All Time
Honorable mentions: Pete Carroll, Ron Meyer
5) Chuck Fairbanks
Record: 46-41
Playoff appearances: 2
Championships: 0
Chuck Fairbanks coached the Patriots from 1973 through 1978 and is one of just seven coaches in franchise history with a winning record. With Fairbanks at the helm, the Patriots drafted franchise legends Sam Cunningham, John Hannah, Ray Hamilton, and Darryl Stingley. He also was in charge when New England drafted Steve Grogan.
But Fairbanks was much more than a good talent evaluator. He won the NFL’s Coach of the Year Award in 1976, a season that saw the Patriots hand the eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Raiders their only loss.
Fairbanks might not have been a great coach, but he was a solid leader who helped the Patriots become relevant.
4) Mike Holovak
Record: 53-47
Playoff appearances: 1
Championships: 0
Mike Holovak, the second head coach in Patriots history, led the franchise from 1961 through 1968 when they were in the AFL. He’s the second-winningest coach in franchise history and enjoyed the second-longest tenure.
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The Patriots finished second in the AFL Eastern division in Holovak’s first two seasons on the job and won the AFL title in Year 3. He also won two AFL Coach of the Year Awards.
You could make a case for Holovak being higher on this list, but No. 4 feels right.
3) Bill Parcells
Record: 34-34
Playoff appearances: 2
Championships: 0
Bill Parcells’ Patriots tenure ended in turmoil, but he made a lasting impact during his four seasons in Foxboro.
Parcells led the Patriots to their second Super Bowl appearance and drafted many of the key players who’d become champions under Belichick in 2001. Sure, he went just 34-34 during his time in New England, but he got the most out of his players and was a difference-maker on the sideline.
Parcells might be higher on this list if not for how he carried himself late in his final season. But he remains one of the best head coaches in both Patriots and NFL history.
2) Raymond Berry
Record: 51-41
Playoff appearances: 2
Championships: 0
A Hall of Fame receiver, Raymond Berry also was a great head coach.
He ranks third behind Belichick and Holovak in both games (92) and victories (51). Most notably, Berry led the Patriots to a Super Bowl berth in 1985 — when he won Coach of the Year — and an 11-5 record the following season. Berry also struggled toward the end of his New England tenure, but he was excellent at the beginning.
Is Berry a controversial pick for No. 2? Maybe, but he deserves it.
1) Bill Belichick
Record: 296-133
Playoff appearances: 18
Championships: 6
What’s there to say about Belichick that hasn’t already been said? He’s the greatest head coach in NFL history, and obviously the best Patriots coach of all time.
Belichick limped to the finish line, and his struggles without Tom Brady, as well as multiple cheating scandals, somewhat tarnished his legacy. It’s also fair to say that Belichick’s stubbornness occasionally was counterproductive, particularly when it came to roster building. But that’s where the criticism ends.
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Six Super Bowl titles in nine appearances. Fourteen AFC title game appearances, including eight in a row. Seventeen AFC East titles, including 11 in a row. Yes, Brady gets some of the credit, but Belichick was the architect. That he accomplished all of it during the salary-cap era further strengthens his claim as the coaching G.O.A.T.
A day might come when Belichick isn’t considered the greatest coach in NFL history. But he’ll never be surpassed as the best Patriots head coach of all time.
