Patriots Head Coach History: Timeline of New England Coaches, Including Bill Belichick, Mike Vrabel
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Coaching in New England has meant handling the pressure that comes with a passionate fan base, high expectations and a division that has rarely been easy to navigate.
The Patriots have gone through 16 head coaches, with names such as Chuck Fairbanks, Raymond Berry and Bill Belichick becoming closely tied to some of the franchise's defining moments. Today, Mike Vrabel leads the team as New England begins its latest chapter.
Here is a complete history of Patriots head coaches.
Patriots head coach history: Full timeline
(Records via Pro-Football-Reference)
Head CoachYearsReg. Season Record (W-L)Playoff RecordLou Saban1960-19617-12—Mike Holovak1961-196852-46-91-1Clive Rush1969-19705-16—John Mazur1970-19729-21—Phil Bengston19721-4—Chuck Fairbanks 1973-197846-390-2Hank Bullough*19780-1—Ron Erhardt*1978-198121-28—Ron Meyer1982-198418-150-1Raymond Berry1984-198948-393-2Rod Rust19901-15—Dick MacPherson1991-19928-24—Bill Parcells1993-199632-322-2Pete Carroll1997-199927-211-2Bill Belichick2000-2023266-12130-12Jerod Mayo20244-13—Mike Vrabel2025-present 14-33-1*Bullough (defensive coordinator) and Erhardt (offensive coordinator) served as co-interim head coaches in 1978 after Fairbanks was suspended before the final regular season game.
The five winningest Patriots coaches
To identify the top the five winningest coaches, regular-season winning percentage is used as the primary statistical measure, with postseason success and championships providing additional context.
Coaches with fewer than three seasons are excluded from the ranking to avoid giving a short tenure disproportionate weight.
5. Chuck Fairbanks (1973-1978)
- Win-Loss percentage: 0.541
- Accolades:PFWA Coach of the Year (1976), Sporting News NFL Coach of the Year (1976), UPI NFL Coach of the Year (1976)
Fairbanks helped turn the Patriots into a contender during the 1970s after taking over a team that had endured four coaching changes in the previous five seasons.
He led New England to its first playoff appearance in 1976. Two years later, the Patriots captured their first AFC East title under Fairbanks.
4. Ron Meyer (1982-1984)
- Win-Loss percentage: 0.545
- Accolade:AFC Coach of the Year (1982)
Meyer posted an 18-15 record during his time with New England.
During the strike-shortened season of 1982, he led the team to a 5-4 record and its first playoff appearance since 1978. The Patriots ultimately lost their playoff opener to the Dolphins on January 8, 1983.
He was famously known for his role in "The Snowplow Game." On Dec. 12, 1982, he ordered a stadium snowplow driver to clear a spot for John Smith's 33-yard yield goal in a 3-0 win over Miami.
3. Raymond Berry (1984-1989)
- Win-Loss percentage: 0.552
- Accolades:PFWA Coach of the Year (1985),UPI NFL Coach of the Year (1985, 1986), AFC Championship (1985)
Berry ranks third on the list after compiling a 48-39 record during his six-season tenure in New England, which included one of the most significant postseason runs in franchise history.
Prior to being a head coach, Berry served as the receivers coach from 1978 to 1981. In 1984, he took over as interim head coach midway through the season.
Berry led the Patriots to an 11-5 regular-season record in 1985, ending that run with an appearance in Super Bowl 20 against Mike Ditka and the Bears.
2. Pete Carroll (1997-1999)
- Win-Loss percentage: 0.563
- Accolade:AFC East Division Championship (1997)
Carroll went 27-21 in three seasons with New England and produced the second-highest winning percentage among Patriots coaches who meet the criteria.
The Patriots reached the playoffs twice during his tenure, including a division title in 1997. Carroll's New England tenure ended after the 1999 season, when the Patriots finished 8-8.
He later led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl 48 victory against the Broncos.
1. Bill Belichick (2000-2023)
- Win-Loss percentage: 0.687
- Accolades:AP Coach of the Year (2003, 2007, 2010), Sporting News NFL Coach of the Year (2003, 2007), Pro Football Weekly NFL Coach of the Year (2003, 2007, 2010), Greasy Neale Award Coach of the Year (2007), PFWA Executive of the Year (2021), six Super Bowl championships (2001, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2016, 2018), nine AFC championships (2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018)
Belichick's 266 regular-season victories are more than any other coach, while his 0.687 winning percentage also ranks first among coaches with at least three seasons.
His regular-season success carried over into the postseason. Belichick led the Patriots to 30 playoff victories, nine AFC championships and six Super Bowl titles. Belichick holds the NFL records for most division championships (17) and Super Bowl wins.
Belichick's tenure ended after the 2023 season with the most regular-season and playoff victories of any coach in Patriots history, cementing his place at the top of the franchise's coaching rankings.
Patriots current coach
Mike Vrabel (2025-present)
- Win-Loss percentage (as of Sept. 4, 2026): 0.824
- Accolades: AP Coach of the Year (2025), PFWA Coach of the Year (2025), Sporting News Coach of the Year (2025)
Vrabel returned to New England in January 2025 after playing for the Patriots from 2001 to 2008. During his playing time under Belichick, he earned Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro selections in 2007, along with helping the Patriots win three Super Bowl titles (2001, 2003, 2004).
Vrabel made an immediate impact in his first season coaching the Patriots, leading the team to a 14-3 regular-season record and the AFC East title before earning a trip to Super Bowl 60. The 10-game improvement from the Patriots' 4-13 record in 2024 tied the NFL record for the largest year-to-year turnaround.