Vince Lombardi, Don Shula, Chuck Noll, Tom Landry, Paul Brown ... and Bill Belichick?

If you don't think the last name belongs, the numbers say otherwise.

Love him or hate him, you have to respect what Belichick has done in 13 years as an NFL head coach.

His career record stands at 142-84, 15-3 in playoffs. He's got three Super Bowl rings to his credit and is one win from earning a fourth.

Not that there's any evidence that he will retire following Sunday's Super Bowl, but if he did, he would be a Hall of Famer before too long.

Granted, Belichick hasn't coached as long as Shula, Noll, Landry or Brown — all of whom were NFL head coaches for more than 20 years.

But Lombardi coached only 10 seasons and was enshrined in Canton in 1971 after winning five world championships.

Speaking of world championships, Belichick has more than Shula (2) and Landry (2) and as many as Brown (3), not counting Brown's years in the All-American Football Conference from 1946-49.

Belichick will attempt to join Noll as the only NFL head coaches to win four Super Bowls when the Patriots face the Giants on Sunday.

Belichick began his head coaching career in 1991 with the Browns.

Most football fans, especially Cleveland fans, view his five years with the Browns as a failure.

Again, the numbers say otherwise.

Belichick took over Cleveland following a dismal 3-13 season in 1990. In his first year, he coached the team to a 3-win improvement at 6-10.

After two straight 7-9 seasons in 1992-93, the Browns went 11-5 in 1994. Ironically, they defeated New England in the AFC Wild Card round that year before losing to Pittsburgh the next week.

To date, the win over the Patriots is the Browns only postseason win since the team reached the AFC championship game in 1989.

So, in Belichick's first four seasons with the Browns, the team improved its record in three of those years.

The Browns began the 1995 season 4-4 before owner Art Modell announced the team would be moving the team to Baltimore after the season. They finished 5-11.

Belichick did not make the move with the Browns to Baltimore and resurfaced as a head coach with the Patriots in 2000.

After a 5-11 season, New England won its first Super Bowl the next year and the rest, as they say, is history.

Belichick's accomplishments came under fire last September for his involvement in "Spygate," in which the Patriots were caught videotaping the defensive signals of the New York Jets.

The Patriots and Belichick were fined and they proceeded to become the first team in NFL history to win 18 straight games in a single season.

You won't see Belichick showing up at many black tie affairs or on the next season of 'Dancing with the Stars.'

And you certainly aren't obligated to send him congrats if he wins the Super Bowl again.

But you do have to respect him.