The Associated Press

Bill Belichick owns three Super Bowl titles, and after leading the New England Patriots in his best coaching job, he was honored Saturday as the Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year.

Belichick had 35 1/2 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who cover the NFL. He easily beat Cincinnati's Marvin Lewis, who was second with seven votes. Dallas' Bill Parcells was third with 6 1/2. Philadelphia's Andy Reid received one vote.

In a year of masterful coaching throughout the league, Belichick led the Patriots to the NFL's best record, 14-2. The Patriots, fighting off injuries almost from the outset of the schedule, won their final 12 games, setting franchise records for winning streak and victories in one year.

They did so in great part because of Belichick's brilliance as a game-planner, motivator and in-game strategist.

"I am honored to accept this award as recognition of the tremendous work of our entire coaching staff, personnel department and Mr. Kraft," Belichick said. "Coaching is always a collective effort that depends on the assistant coaches' preparation and direction and the players' performance on the field. More than anything, it was the players' exceptional resiliency, toughness and execution under pressure that allowed us to have a successful regular season."

Lewis, in his rookie season as an NFL head coach, finished second in voting.

"It's great to hear," Lewis said when informed of his finish. "I'd just like to pass on the congratulations to our players, to the coaching staff and to everyone in our organization. They all worked hard to make the improvement in record that led to the voting coming out the way it did."

The Bengals finished 8-8 and in second place in the AFC North. They were in the playoff hunt until the final game of the season, just one year after finishing a league-worst 2-14 under Dick LeBeau.

The Patriots succeeded with a variety of starting lineups, unusual for a championship-caliber team.

"We have had a number of different people," Belichick said. "It has been that kind of team.

"Again, I am not caught up on the big starter thing. ... I think all of the players have been active at one time or another. They have contributed in one way or another. So it has been a lot of different mixes through the course of the year from game-to-game, and from one part of the season, and so I guess that part of it has been maybe a trademark of this season."

There was no indication at the beginning of the season that Belichick would be coach of the year or that the Patriots would be dominant. In a stunningly controversial move, Belichick cut starting safety Lawyer Milloy, who was picked up by Buffalo. The Bills then promptly spanked the Patriots 31-0 in the opener.

Belichick is the second Patriots coach to win the award; Parcells got it in 1994.

Reid won it last year.

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Enquirer reporter Mark Curnutte contributed.

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