Bill Belichick reportedly 'chickened out' after rejecting Freedom medal and met Donald Trump at golf course

Bill Belichick is arguably the most accomplished and successful coach in NFL history. In his 22 seasons as head coach (and de facto general manager) of the New England Patriots, Belichick has gone on to win six Super Bowls, and currently holds a win percentage of 72% with the Patriots. At first glance it appears there isn't much Belichick can claim he hasn't won.

There is one thing he hasn't won but came close to winning: the Presidential Medal of Freedom. New York Times reporters Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns revealed Bill Belichick was offered the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Donald Trump in March of 2021. The report came from their new book, This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden, and the Battle for America's Future.

Donald Trump and Bill Belichick had been friends for a long time. However, Trump's offer came two months after the infamous Jan. 6 attack on the United States Capitol. Belichick declined the medal in a move that seriously bothered Trump. Martin and Alexander wrote,

"One of the rejections that had bothered him the most had come from Bill Belichick, the legendary coach of the New England Patriots who had declined Trump’s attempt to grant him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In the immediate aftermath of the riot, it was just not possible for him to appear with Trump. Back then, Trump said, Belichick had “chickened out.” But get this, Trump confided: The coach had just a week earlier been playing golf at Trump’s nearby course. Trump had run into him there on the second-to-last hole. “He came up to me on the seventeenth,” the former commander-in-chief recounted with relish."

In addition to Martin and Alexander reporting that Bill Belichick turned down the medal, they recounted another alleged interaction between the coach and Trump. In a claim that the authors do find a tad bit hard to believe, Trump also alleged that Belichick hugged and kissed him.

"Stretching credulity for anyone familiar with Belichick’s gruff persona, Trump claimed: “He hugged me and kissed me."

Bill Belichick and Trump's is unrelated to politics

Donald Trump Hosts Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots At The White House

Bill Belichick came out publicly saying he and Trump were friends for many years before Trump went into politics. The pair shared a mutual friend in Tom Brady as well.

That said, Belichick's decision to decline the Presidential Medal of Freedom likely stems from a political base, along with the fallout following the Capitol attacks. the Patriots head coach was quoted as saying:

"Our friendship goes back many years. I think anybody that spends more than five minutes with me knows I'm not a political person. My comments are not politically motivated."

Another reason Bill Belichick could've declined the medal is because of pressure from his players. Many on the Patriots threatened to boycott the team after Belichick's statement.

Despite Trump not being in the presidency anymore, his four-year stay in the White House was highly eventful and was continuously marred by controversy. There are likely many more stories like this that are waiting to be unearthed and will surely come out over time.