Academy Honors NFL Head Coach Belichick with Amos Alonzo Stagg Coaching Award

23 December 2004

During the past three seasons, head coach Bill Belichick has guided the Patriots to two Super Bowl titles, an NFL record 21 consecutive victories and a six-game postseason winning streak.

The United States Sports Academy announced today that New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has been awarded the 2004 Amos Alonzo Stagg Coaching Award for his outstanding success at American football's highest level of competition.

During the past three seasons, Belichick has guided the Patriots to two Super Bowl titles, an NFL record 21 consecutive victories and a six-game postseason winning streak. In fact, the only coach to enjoy a better postseason winning percentage in the playoffs is Vince Lombardi, the coach whose name is emblazoned on the Super Bowl trophy.

In addition to the two world championships, the Patriots have become the league model for consistency, having won more than 40 games in the past three seasons. As a result of his team's performance, Belichick holds the franchise record for winning percentage and is on pace to set the Patriots all-time wins record by the end of this season. Now in his 30th season, Belichick has more years of NFL experience than any other head coach. In his first 29 seasons, his teams qualified for the playoffs 13 times and won nine division titles, five conference championships and four Super Bowls. He won his first two world titles as the defensive coordinator for the New York Giants in 1986 and 1990.

The Amos Alonzo Stagg Coaching Award is named in honor of Amos Stagg, the college football legend, who coached for more than 70 years, beginning in 1888, before retiring at age 98. Stagg ranks sixth on the all-time wins list among college coaches and is the namesake of the NCAA Division III championship game - Stagg Bowl. The award is presented annually to an individual who has experienced outstanding achievement as a coach. As such, this person should exhibit a high standard of propriety, imagination and innovation as a character-builder in the tradition of great teachers and coaches.

The Academy presents awards each year to pay tribute to those who have made significant contributions to sports, in categories as diverse as the artist and the athlete in several different arenas. The awards have expanded over the years to honor exemplary achievement in coaching, all-around athletic performance, courage, humanitarian activity, fitness and media, as well as the top professional athletes of the year.