Six-time Tremendous Bowl-winning coach Invoice Belichick and 4 different head coaches who gained Tremendous Bowls are among the many 9 semifinalists within the coach class for the Class of 2026 for the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame.
Belichick is in his first 12 months of eligibility after rule modifications put in place final 12 months requiring coaches to be out of the NFL for just one full season earlier than being thought of for the Corridor.
Two-time Tremendous Bowl champion coaches Tom Coughlin, Mike Shanahan and George Seifert additionally superior, together with one other Tremendous Bowl winner in Mike Holmgren.
The opposite coaches within the operating are Buddy Parker, who gained two NFL titles with the Detroit Lions within the pre-Tremendous Bowl period, Chuck Knox, Dan Reeves and Marty Schottenheimer.
A blue-ribbon committee will lower the checklist down to 1 finalist. Holmgren earned that spot final 12 months however fell brief within the ultimate vote. The coach will likely be grouped with one contributor and three seniors candidates. Between one and three of these 5 finalists will make it to the Corridor based mostly on getting at the least 80% of the votes from the complete committee.
Belichick was the architect of the New England Patriots dynasty within the 2000s, main the franchise to 6 Tremendous Bowl titles and three different appearances within the recreation throughout an 18-year span from 2001 to 2018. Belichick's 333 wins within the common season and playoffs with New England and Cleveland are the second most to Don Shula's 347.
He additionally was one of many recreation's high defensive assistants earlier than taking up in New England, profitable two extra Tremendous Bowls as defensive coordinator for the New York Giants.
Belichick's tenure in New England ended after the 2023 season, and he's now teaching in school at North Carolina.
Belichick, Coughlin, Shanahan and Seifert are among the many 14 coaches who've gained a number of Tremendous Bowls. 9 of these coaches are already in, with Andy Reid nonetheless lively as the opposite.
Coughlin coached 20 years for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Giants. He led the Jaguars to the AFC title recreation of their second season as a franchise within the 1996 season and once more in 1999. However his best success got here after taking up the Giants in 2004.
He led the franchise to a Tremendous Bowl title within the 2007 season when the Giants upset the undefeated Patriots after which knocked off Belichick, Tom Brady and New England once more 4 years later. Coughlin completed with a 170-150 regular-season document.
Seifert helped the San Francisco 49ers win two titles as a defensive coordinator below Invoice Walsh after which two extra as head coach after taking up for Walsh in 1989.
He gained at the least 10 video games in all eight seasons accountable for the 49ers together with his 98-30 document (.766) the most effective for any coach on a single staff with at the least 100 video games. However he was unable to duplicate that success in three seasons with the Carolina Panthers, going 16-32.
Shanahan was the offensive coordinator below Seifert on San Francisco's 1994 championship staff and gained back-to-back titles as head coach in Denver in 1997-98. Shanahan completed with a 170-138 document for the Raiders, Broncos and Washington, and his impression on the sport continues to be robust at present by means of his disciples, together with his son, Kyle, who coaches San Francisco.
4 different present NFL head coaches labored below Shanahan in Washington — Sean McVay, Mike McDaniel, Matt LaFleur and Raheem Morris — and his offensive system that tied the skin zone run with the passing recreation continues to be essentially the most prevalent within the league at present.
Holmgren preceded Shanahan as offensive coordinator in San Francisco and had a huge impact on future coaches with Reid and Jon Gruden happening to win Tremendous Bowls after working below Holmgren in Inexperienced Bay. Holmgren had a 161-111 document for the Packers and Seahawks, profitable the title in 1996. He additionally bought to the Tremendous Bowl the next season in Inexperienced Bay and within the 2005 season in Seattle.
Reeves gained 201 video games in his profession and went to the Tremendous Bowl 4 instances, dropping 3 times with Denver and as soon as with Atlanta.
Marty Schottenheimer gained 205 video games in a profession that featured stints in Cleveland, Kansas Metropolis, Washington and San Diego.
Knox was a three-time NFL Coach of the 12 months who gained 193 video games as head coach of the Los Angeles Rams, Buffalo Payments and Seahawks.
In different classes introduced final month:
• Versatile operating again Roger Craig, former MVP Ken Anderson and returning finalists Maxie Baughan and Jim Tyrer had been among the many 34 players who advanced to the subsequent stage within the seniors class.
• Patriots proprietor Robert Kraft and NFL founder Ralph Hay had been among the many 21 contributors who advanced to the subsequent stage for the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame's Class of 2026.
Each classes will subsequent be lower to 9 semifinalists every.
