FOXBORO, MASS. (WHDH) - A mix of grief and understanding were on display at the Patriots ProShop Thursday, as fans reacted to news of the New England Patriots and the team’s longtime head coach Bill Belichick parting ways.

Customers and staff were glued to the store’s television screens just before noon as both Belichick and Patriots owner Robert Kraft held a press conference discussing the coach’s departure.

“It’s sad, it’s sad!” one fan told 7NEWS as she wiped away a tear.

Fan gear with Belichick slogans such as “Do your job” and “No days off” were selling quickly as Patriots Nation reacted to the news, with fans making the trip to the Gillette Stadium shop around midday.

“It makes it all real, it means a lot to be here,” another fan said.

“I’m only 18 – he’s been the only coach I’ve seen with the Patriots,” said Terrance Fitz-Gerald. “Ring after ring, year after year – winning seasons. The motto of ‘Do you job’ has always been a big thing.”

However, news of Belichick’s departure wasn’t quite a bombshell, especially following a 4-13 season and as other teams announce their own head coach departures.

“I saw it coming a little bit, with this past season and the record and everything,” Fitz-Gerald added.

“I believe everybody in New England appreciates what he did, but there’s always a time to go,” one man at the shop told 7NEWS.

With the split between the Patriots and Belichick after 24 years being an amicable one, especially after the coach and his team earned six Super Bowl wins during Belichick’s tenure, many fans said the move was a sensible, but sad one nonetheless.

“I think it’s amazing how many championships they’ve brought back,” Patriots fan Steven Lake said. “I think he has to be – all of the rings and they come back to New England – you have to be remembered forever.”

“It’s actually sad – even though I was 50-50 on him staying or going, it is sad,” another fan said. “If there’s a higher plateau than a GOAT, you have to give that to Bill Belichick.”

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