The Patriots have been contacted by CNN for a statement. Robert Kraft, the team’s owner, and Belichick will speak to the media at noon ET, according to a statement from New England.

With his departure, one of the most successful head coaching stints in NFL history comes to an end. Belichick transformed the Patriots organization’s fortunes during this period.

Belichick turned the Patriots into one of the league’s titans, nearly always making deep playoff runs and challenging for the Vince Lombardi Trophy, setting the standard for others. Brady was paired with Belichick, who helped create an era for the quarterback position.

However, after Brady left to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2019, the team has had difficulty both in the regular season and the postseason, as evidenced by New England’s 4-13 record this past season.

According to NFL.com, Belichick leaves the organization with a 266-120 regular-season record and a 30-12 postseason record.

The best of all time?

From his days as an assistant coach across the league to his time learning under his father at the Naval Academy football team, Belichick’s story is now legendary.

During his tenure as defensive coordinator for the New York Giants, Belichick learned under head coach Bill Parcells, who served as a mentor for the young quarterback when they won two Super Bowl titles. This experience proved to be a turning point for the NFL as a whole. Later, the couple’s bond was memorialized as “The Two Bills” in an ESPN “30 for 30” show that aired in 2018.

Belichick, at 38 years old, was appointed as the Cleveland Browns’ first head coach before to the team’s divisive move to Baltimore.

After just one day as the head coach of the Jets, Parcells had a reunion with him at the New York Jets before taking over as head coach of the Patriots. This all happened after one of the most remarkable press conferences in NFL history.

Belichick selected Brady with the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft out of the University of Michigan, making his first draft selection with the New England Patriots the best it could have been.

Over the next 20 years, they also made the Patriots into a fearsome club, with Brady and Belichick’s savagery keeping New England ahead of the pack.

The only head coach in NFL history with six Super Bowl victories is Bill Belichick. With 333 career victories as a head coach, he is ranked second all-time. He is the head coach with the most playoff victories ever (31 in his career).

More than that, though, his mark is everywhere throughout the league.

Belichick is related to current NFL head coach Brian Daboll, and he is also the ancestor of well-known figures in the sport like Mike Vrabel, Matt Patricia, Brian Flores, Joe Judge, Josh McDaniels, Nick Saban, Romeo Crennel, and Eric Mangini.

The apex of the Belichick-Brady partnership was achieved in 2007 when the Patriots became the first team in history to finish the regular season undefeated at 16-0.

The offense of the squad was nearly unstoppable, finishing the season with an NFL-best 36.8 points per game, with quarterback Brady leading the charge (he would earn MVP that season) and superstar wide receiver Randy Moss on the outside. And when combined with a formidable defense, New England was unstoppable.

Following their impressive postseason run, the Patriots squared up against the New York Giants in the Super Bowl. To one of the biggest surprises in NFL history, New England lost 17–14, with David Tyree’s legendary “Helmet Catch” cementing the team’s legacy.

But the Patriots’ unstoppable momentum would continue despite the stunning upset. Being a perennial challenger for the Super Bowl was largely due to Belichick’s famed ability to turn unappreciated parts into stars and trade players for prospects just as their careers were about to take a bad turn.

When asked whether he considered himself to be the Patriots’ head coach going forward, he had been asked this question a lot and had always made sure to answer in his signature sardonic fashion.