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January 3, 2008

Belichick wins NFL Coach of the Year for 2nd time

Journal photo / Mary Murphy
Head coach Bill Belichick answers questions from reporters Thursday as the Patriots returned to practice after time-off since last Saturday's win against the Giants.

Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots was named the National Football League's Coach of the Year after leading his team to an undefeated regular season.

The Patriots were 16-0, making Belichick the first coach to lead his team through the season without a loss since Don Shula did it with Miami in 1972.

The perfect record earned the Patriots' coach 29 of the 50 votes from a nationwide media panel in balloting conducted by the Associated Press.

The season started with the NFL fining Belichick $500,000 and the Patriots $250,000 plus the loss of a first-round pick in this year's draft after the team was caught videotaping New York Jets coaches on the sidelines Sept. 9.

Green Bay's Mike McCarthy was second in the balloting, receiving 15 votes for leading the Packers to a 13-3 record and the National Football Conference North Division title.

Dallas' Wade Phillips and Jacksonville's Jack Del Rio each received two votes, while Indianapolis' Tony Dungy and Tampa Bay's Jon Gruden got one apiece.

Belichick won the award in 2003 after leading New England to a 14-2 regular-season record, winning its final 12 games before claiming the second of three Super Bowl titles.

-- Bloomberg

Posted by Mike McDermott at 2:46 PM | Permalink

Comments

Of course he was, and well deserved is he! Way to go Hoodie!!

Posted by: mikke at January 3, 2008 2:57 PM

There have been a number of ESPN reporters who have always been critical of the NE Pats and Coach Belichick. One of them insisted that the Pats held up receivers at the line of scrimmage. The Indianapolis Colts with the owner on the NFL Rules Committee helped enact the Peyton Manning(Don't touch my receivers off the line of scrimmage) rule. In addition, the Coach of the Year Award has gone to some coach with an easy schedule or a team that goes from the bottom to near the top. It is unfair to penalize a coach for producing a top notch team year after year. It must be hard for the naysayers to admit that this the best team of all time. If the Pats do win out, and do win the Super Bowl, only otherwise disabled sports fans will be left to resist. If someone were to establish a "give Bill his money back fund" I would contribute.

Posted by: Jim Ed from MS at January 3, 2008 4:48 PM

To the 29 voters on the 50 member nationwide pannel who voted Bellicheat coach of the yr, and you Jim Ed, SHAME ON ALL OF YOU from a true sports fan who represents more people than the NFL or the media will ever acknowledge even though we are right here,That's right older people who have set examples young people who need the examples set,real people who have paved the way in sports,people who aquire a sense ofaccomplishment,the meaning of heart,honesty, respect,discipline,courage, selfesteem, and in some cases a reason to go on.How dare you continue to tarnish such a gift which has been given to us all.With that said let's work on changing things,this is a challenge from a whole lot of people (I know your out there you voted).

Posted by: tirdist at January 5, 2008 2:01 AM