Bill Belichick
From SoSH
Belichick became the coach of the Patriots after a strange series of events, resigning as the coach of the New York Jets after the departure of Bill Parcells. He was to be announced as the Jets new coach, but it turned out to be an annoucement of his resignation. After some quarreling between the clubs, the Patriots sent the Jets a 2000 first round pick (Chad Pennington) as compensation. The rest is history.
After going 5-11 taking over for Pete Carroll in 2000, Belichick began constructing his dynasty. In the 2001 draft, he took defensive centerpiece Richard Syemour, much to the chagrin of Ron Borges who pined for David Terrell, and tackle Matt Light. After an injury to Drew Bledsoe in week 2, he went with unknown Tom Brady as his quarterback for the remainder of the season, even after Bledsoe was healthy enough to play. It was a source of controversy in the clubhouse and with fans, but it turned out to be the decision that changed the fortunes of the franchise. Belichick and Brady would go on to lead the Patriots to their first ever Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XXXVI over the heavily-favored Rams.
The Patriots had a down year in 2002, missing the playoffs. Belichick and Scott Pioli reconstructed the club once more. Belichick opted for newcomer Rodney Harrison over popular incumbent Lawyer Milloy, another unpopular move that worked out very well for the club. The Patriots would go on to win the next two Super Bowls. The Patriots made the playoffs in both 2005 and 2006, but Belichick's clubs were knocked out by the Broncos and Colts, respectively.
