Robert Kraft has owned the New England Patriots since 1994, and since then, the Boston-based franchise has experienced the most successful ownership run in its history. Under his watch, the Patriots have captured six Super Bowl titles, made nine Super Bowl appearances, won 19 division championships, and redefined what a dynasty means in professional football.
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But this unprecedented run truly began in 1999, when Kraft made a decision that would go on to change everything. He traded a first-round draft pick to the New York Jets to hire Bill Belichick as head coach. In hindsight, it’s a decision worth its weight in gold. But at the time, it wasn’t just controversial; it was heavily criticized.
And why wouldn’t it be? Belichick’s coaching resume before joining the Patriots gave plenty of reason for skepticism. As head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 1991 to 1995, he posted a 36–44 record, a .450 win percentage.
While his 1994 Browns team showed promise with an 11-5 record and a playoff victory, his tenure ended in chaos when the franchise moved to Baltimore and he was dismissed. Then, he had a brief stint in New England as an assistant head coach before moving to New York for the same role. And when it was time for him to be elevated to a head coaching position, it was time for Kraft to make a call.
Speaking in a recent sit-down interview with Julian Edelman, Kraft reflected on that pivotal moment as he revealed why it remains one of the best decisions he has ever made as Patriots owner.
“Well, the one [decision of mine] that got questioned the most was in ’99. I gave up a number one draft pick for a coach who had only won a little over 40% of his games to get him out from… I don’t know if there are any Jet fans here… but I think getting Bill Belichick to come to the Patriots in 1999, it was a big risk, and I got hammered in the Boston media,” the billionaire owner said.
But Kraft saw something beyond the record, a football mind that had coordinated two Super Bowl-winning defenses with the Giants, built around discipline, flexibility, and game-planning brilliance.
He also appreciated the Croatian’s eye for talent, especially when he backed the legendary Troy Brown to be picked in 1996, when he was an unheralded 8th-round pick with fewer than 500 career receiving yards.
It was a combination of these instincts and appreciations that allowed Kraft to take the leap of faith on Belichick. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Over the next two decades, Belichick became the winningest coach in Patriots history, with a 284–111 regular season record, 31 playoff wins (most in NFL history), and three AP NFL Coach of the Year awards.
He’s the only coach in league history to win at least 14 games in five different seasons, and his legacy, along with Tom Brady, anchored the most dominant era in modern football.
So in many ways, Robert Kraft’s decision to bring Belichick aboard, despite media backlash and heavy risk, remains the defining move of his ownership. “He was with us for 24 years, and we did okay,” he hence cheekily said with a smile.
