His is a journey that began more than 40 years ago when he was a wet-behind-the-ears 22-year-old in search of his first job.

Bill Belichick had sent out more than 250 letters by the time he got his first break in 1975 following Ted Marchibroda’s decision to hire him to study film and run errands as an assistant on his Baltimore Colts team for $25 per week.

Belichick made the most of the opportunity, soaking up as much information as he could as he rose through the coaching ranks. After several assistant jobs, he landed his first head coaching opportunity in 1991, when the Cleveland Brown made him their coach at age 38.

Several stops later, Belichick was named the head coach of the New England Patriots prior to the 2000 season, and he has won four Super Bowls since.

He’s among the many great football minds still gracing the sidelines. Here’s a look at the five best football coaches in both the professional and college ranks.

1. Bill Belichick (New England Patriots)

The Hoodied One just completed his 40th season as an NFL coach after winning his fourth Super Bowl in 2014, tying him with Pittsburgh’s Chuck Noll for the most Super Bowl wins by a head coach. Belichick is one of only five coaches with four or more titles in NFL history and the only coach in league annals to have claimed three Super Bowl championships within a four-year span.

2. Nick Saban (Alabama)

Saban has elevated himself into legendary status among college coaches after recently leading Alabama to its fourth national championship within the past seven years.

His dominance of the high-fallutin’ SEC has been unparalleled and is the reason he’s become the standard by which other coaches are measured. Unrealistic or not.

Saban’s ability to consistently beat his rivals has been the biggest reason for so many recent coaching changes within the league.

A six-time National Coach of the Year, Saban previously won an NCAA title at LSU in 2003, giving him five national championships. As a college head coach, Saban has won 76 percent of his games, including a staggering 89 percent over the past eight years in Tuscaloosa.

3. Urban Meyer (Ohio State)

The winner of three national championships (two at Florida, one at Ohio State) is rarified air as he and Saban are the only two college coaches to have won national crowns at two schools. Meyer, however, is the only one to have done so in two conferences. He boasts the highest winning percentage (85 percent) among active FBS coaches with at least 10 years of Div. I experience with a career 154-27 record.

4. Mike Tomlin (Pittsburgh Steelers)

The Steelers have hired just three coaches since 1969, and Tomlin has accounted very well for himself in following the legendary Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher. All Tomlin has done in his nine years in Pittsburgh is guide the Steelers to their NFL-best sixth Super Bowl victory (2009) and an appearance in another championship game (2011).

Tomlin has guided his team to four AFC North titles and into the playoffs six times. The Steelers might have won another Super Bowl this past season had critical injuries not slowed them down in the playoffs.

5. Pete Carroll (Seattle Seahawks)

He is one of the few coaches to have pulled off the rare double of having won an NCAA championship and a Super Bowl title. Carroll guided USC to one of the most impressive runs in college football history before taking the Seahawks job in January 2010. In his six seasons in Seattle, Carroll has won three NFC West titles and advanced to at least the divisional round in five of his six seasons.