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“He Was Making About $4500”: Despite Being Highest Paid Coach in NFL, Bill Belichick Almost Shot Down Legendary Career Due to Financial Reasons

Published 06/24/2023, 9:52 AM EDT

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Bill Belichick has been in contention to be one of the best NFL coaches ever for a while now. His achievements and skills have seen him coach one of the best QB, Tom Brady, in one of the most dominant eras. Belichick has won 8 Super Bowl titles during 4 decades as a coach. This is more than what Vince Lombardi managed in his entire career by 4 times. But it was not always as smooth sailing for the Patriots‘ HC.

Belichick recalls having considered a different profession for financial reasons earlier on. The highest-paid coach in the NFL once questioned the viability of coaching as a profession because of how little he would have made.

Bill Belichick’s alternative plans

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Bill Belichick saw his father make a measly annual income when he was young despite being in the Navy. This made him consider whether coaching was a good option to support himself financially. In a recent conversation with, The 33rd Team, Bill Belichick sheds light on his contemplation back when he was young.

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“You know back in the day when my dad you know went to Navy I think he was making about $4,500. And and uh you know there wasn’t a lot of money in coaching football.” Belichick shares the introspection that pushed him to take up economics. Belichick adds, “I thought I would be going into business and um and so I uh majored in economics in college.”

Bill recalls that he did not make a lot of money in his first year either. The Patriots HC adds, “I remember my rookie year or my first year with the Baltimore Colts in 95 the rookie salary is $19 000.” Belichick pursued coaching despite his financial reservations. This saw him work with and against some of the biggest names in the coaching spectrum of the NFL.

Belichick learned from many coaches in the NFL

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Bill Belichick may be one of the biggest names in the NFL right now, but it was not always this way. When he was young, he got the opportunity to work with the greats of that time. Belichick recalls the coaches he would have wanted to work with. Belichick responds to being asked who would he want to coach against. He says, “how about coaching with? Oh you know put Paul Brown at the top of the list.”

USA Today via Reuters

Upon returning to the original question, Belichick mentions some of the coaches he has worked under. “Coaching for Bill Parcells was a you know uh had a huge impact on on my life and my career.” The former Colts coach remembers one of the tougher tasks as coach and adds, “Coach Shanahan, Mike Shanahan uh we always had you know a lot of trouble with him.”

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Belichick has had the honor and luxury to have gone up against many coaches in his time at the NFL. Some have helped shape him to become what he is today with the matchups between Belichick and his opponents always pushing him to overcome them and beat them.

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Written by:

Kushal Jain

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Kushal Jain is an NFL writer at EssentiallySports. Having started off writing as a hobby when he was 19, it has snowballed into becoming his full time profession. He is a passionate football fan, or as per the US etymology, soccer fan.
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Edited by:

Nidhi