Overview
- The nine coach semifinalists are Bill Belichick, Tom Coughlin, Mike Holmgren, Chuck Knox, Buddy Parker, Dan Reeves, Marty Schottenheimer, George Seifert and Mike Shanahan, with six having won at least one Super Bowl or NFL title.
- The contributor semifinalists are K. S. "Bud" Adams, Roone Arledge, Ralph Hay, Frank "Bucko" Kilroy, Robert Kraft, Art Rooney Jr., Clark Shaughnessy, Seymour Siwoff and Buddy Young, with Hay the category’s finalist last year who was not elected.
- The Contributor Blue-Ribbon Committee will meet Nov. 11, followed by the Coach committee on Nov. 18, to select one finalist from each list.
- A 2024 rule change making coaches eligible after one season away enabled first-year candidate Belichick to reach the semifinal stage.
- The Selection Committee will vote in early 2026 with Ernst & Young oversight, with the class unveiled at NFL Honors in February and enshrinement scheduled for August in Canton, Ohio.