A look back at the sports world when Bill Belichick became the Patriots head coach in 2000
Bill Belichick has parted ways with the New England Patriots after 24 seasons, bringing to a close the longest tenure in the franchise's history.
This decision was made by the Patriots’ owner, Robert Kraft, and Belichick mutually. Kraft hired Belichick in 2000 after he served as the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator of the New York Jets from 1997-99.
To secure Belichick as head coach, the Patriots and the NFL Commissioner agreed to give the Jets a first-round draft pick in exchange for releasing Belichick from his contract.
A lot has changed since Belichick took over in New England. For example, the Apple iPhone wasn't even a thought until seven years later. Here is a look back to the sports world when Bill Belichick became the head coach of the New England Patriots in 2000.
Bill Belichick-Patriots split: What we know and what's next for head coach, New England
Sports world when Belichick became Patriots head coach in 2000
XXVII Summer Olympic Games
A total of 10,651 athletes from 199 countries participated in 300 events at the XXVII Summer Olympic Games that was held in Sydney, Australia, in September 2000. These were the first Olympic Games to include taekwondo and triathlon events, as well as allowing female athletes to compete in modern pentathlon and weightlifting.
The United States won the most medals in the Summer Games with 93, followed by Russia with 89, and China and Australia with 58.
Formula One returns to the U.S.
The Formula One Grand Prix returned to the United States for the first time since 1991 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. F1 competed in a 13-turn, 2.605-mile road course at IMS that ran clockwise.
The Indianapolis Speedway had a multimillion-dollar construction project that involved building a new road course, pitstops, garages and suites, and a new Pagoda control tower.
Tiger Woods won nine PGA Tour events
When Tiger Woods was 24 years old, he made history by becoming the youngest player to win a career Grand Slam. This happened during the British Open at the Old Courses in St. Andrews. Woods set a record with his excellent performance, achieving the lowest score in relation to par at a major tournament. Woods finished with a 19-under 296 total, after scoring 3-under 69, making him the winner of the tournament.
Lance Armstrong stripped of the 2000 Tour de France title
The 87th edition of the Tour de France did not have a winner due to a report by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, which accused Lance Armstrong of using performance-enhancing drugs throughout his career. As a result of the investigation, Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned by cycling’s governing body.
Venus Williams won Wimbledon, US Open
In 2000, Venus Williams achieved an incredible feat by winning Wimbledon, the US Open, and the XXVII Summer Olympic Games singles gold medal. She also won the gold medal in the women's doubles alongside her younger sister Serena. As a result of these achievements, Williams finished the year ranked No. 3 in the world.
The Yankees won the World Series
The New York Yankees beat their cross-town rivals, the New York Mets, four games to one to win the 2000 World Series title.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bill Belichick joined the Patriots in a different sports world in 2000
