The NFL coaching record that most people focus on when talking about Bill Belichick is Don Shula's 347 wins.
The New England Patriots head coach is 15 victories away from breaking Shula's record for the most wins by a head coach in league history -- regular season and playoffs included.
There are two other coaching records that Belichick is much closer to breaking, although he probably wishes he wasn't.
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The Patriots' 17-3 loss to the New York Jets in Sunday's Week 18 finale was the 165th regular season defeat of Belichick's career.
It moves him into a tie with Dan Reeves and Jeff Fisher for the most regular season losses:
- Bill Belichick: 165
- Dan Reeves: 165
- Jeff Fisher: 165
- Tom Landry: 162
- Don Schula: 156
One of the main reasons why Belichick is so high up on the career losses leaderboard is the simple fact that he has coached longer than most of the other coaches on the list. Belichick has been a head coach for 29 seasons (24 with the Patriots and five with the Browns).
If you look at the 10 coaches with the most regular season losses in history, Belichick has coached at least six seasons longer than five of them. Among that group of 10 coaches, only Don Shula (33 years) and George Halas (40 years) coached for longer than Belichick has so far.
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If you include the playoffs, Belichick now has 178 total losses in his head coaching career, which is tied with Dallas Cowboys legend Tom Landry for the most ever.
So if Belichick coaches next season, whether he's with the Patriots or another team, he will eventually set the record for the most regular season losses and total losses (including playoffs) by a head coach in league history.
Holding these records won't do much to tarnish Belichick's legacy, though. He's absolutely the greatest coach in league history. His record six Super Bowl titles and many other accomplishments speak for themselves.