Belichick gives ‘completely honest’ answer to question about record NFL victory

Belichick gives ‘completely honest’ answer to record-breaking question about NFL wins that originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Bill Belichick is just 15 wins away from breaking Miami Dolphins legend Don Shula’s all-time NFL record for most wins (regular season and playoffs combined) by a head coach.

Shula has 347 wins, while Belichick has 333.

Considering he is so close to breaking Shula’s record and has deep respect for the history of the sport, it wouldn’t be surprising if Belichick really wanted to break this record.

But Belichick won’t be breaking this record anytime soon. He just became the head football coach at the University of North Carolina, where he signed a five-year contract.

The legendary head coach was asked about Shula’s record during Monday’s appearance on ESPN’s The Pat McAfee Showand he didn’t seem too excited about the possibility of breaking it off.

“I never really thought about that, to be honest. It’s not about wins for me, it’s about championships,” Belichick said. “That’s what I want to do, I want to win championships. The wins are great, and you have to win games to win championships, I understand that. But for me it’s about championships, and that’s really what I’m most proud of It’s not how many games we’ve won — because it’s hard to win in the NFL, I’m proud of the games we’ve won and the teams that won them, but I’m proud of the championships I’m a member of was and what I contributed to.

“Teams win championships, and I am proud to be a member of eight teams that have won. They weren’t my teams, I was part of those teams. That’s really what means the most to me.

“When we look back at the games we’ve won and be proud of those moments, but the moment is when you can put together a full season and walk off the field at the end of the year as the best team, that’s what really means the most to me.

“However many wins that was, 300 or whatever the number is, it’s amazing. And I’m not being disrespectful at all – what means the most to me is the eight Super Bowl trophies that I had a small part in, and I’m I’m very proud to have been part of those teams.”

Belichick’s six Super Bowl championships as an NFL head coach – all won with the New England Patriots – are the most in history. He also won two Super Bowl titles as the defensive coordinator of the New York Giants in the 1980s. Belichick’s 31 playoff wins are also a league record.

It’s possible that Belichick returns to the NFL one day and chases Shula’s record. But he is also 72 years old and has nothing left to prove as a coach.

And right now, Belichick has plenty of challenges ahead of him as he rebuilds a Tar Heels program that is coming off a disappointing college football regular season.