Robert Kraft

Since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994, the Patriots have experienced one of the most dramatic turnarounds in the history of sports. Now in his 20th season of ownership, Kraft has transformed one of the league's least successful clubs into what many observers view as a model NFL franchise. In its first 34 seasons of existence, the Patriots won a total of 225 games. Under Kraft's guidance, the franchise equaled that win total in just 19 years. In the five seasons immediately preceding his purchase (1989-93), the Patriots were a moribund team, winning just 19 of 80 games (.238 pct.) and recording the worst record in the NFL over that span. When he bought the franchise on Jan. 21, 1994, Kraft announced his intention to bring a championship to New England, a tall order considering the team's previous success rate. But since then, under Kraft's leadership, the Patriots have won more division titles (12), conference crowns (6) and Super Bowl championships (3) than any other NFL team. In 2011, the Patriots claimed their sixth AFC Championship during Kraft's tenure, earning him the distinction as the first principal owner in NFL history to earn six trips to the Super Bowl. Since 1994, no other NFL team has appeared in more than four Super Bowls. In Kraft's 19 seasons, the Patriots have qualified for the playoffs 14 times, more than doubling the franchise's playoff appearances in their first 34 seasons