Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick made a surprise appearance at a dinner celebrating the 10th anniversary of the team's Super Bowl LI victory over the Atlanta Falcons. The event, held at Davio's Steakhouse at Patriots Place in Foxborough, coincided with the induction of tight end Rob Gronkowski into the Patriots Hall of Fame.
Belichick, who coached the Patriots for 24 seasons and won six Super Bowls, drove to Foxborough after his current team, the University of North Carolina, defeated Connecticut 38-21 on Saturday. He was joined at the dinner by former quarterback Tom Brady, who also attended Gronkowski's formal induction ceremony earlier in the day.
Notably absent was Patriots owner Robert Kraft, 85, who is recovering from back surgery. Belichick and Kraft have had a strained relationship since their parting after the 2023 season, with public exchanges in the media. Belichick previously confirmed that Patriots scouts were barred from North Carolina's facilities, stating, "It's clear I'm not welcome there at their facility. So they're not welcome at ours." Kraft has said he plans to build a statue honoring Belichick, whose tenure included nine AFC titles and 17 AFC East division crowns.
Belichick also recently attended a dinner marking the 40th anniversary of the New York Giants' first Super Bowl win, where he served as defensive coordinator. He was notably absent from the Patriots' 25th anniversary celebration of the franchise's first Super Bowl championship team.
