It’s good to be Bill Belichick these days, even if he’s not (yet) the all-time winningest king
Bill Belichick got his first NFL coaching job in 1975 as a “special assistant” with Ted Marchibroda’s Baltimore Colts. To put that in perspective, it’s been that long since 48-year-old George Blanda — George Blanda! — played in the NFL. It’s been so long since Robert Kraft was the little-known co-owner of World Team Tennis’ Boston Lobsters. It’s been so long that most NFL fans under the age of 50 can’t remember when the Colts were based in Baltimore.
This is the Bill Belichick of 2024: a combination rock star and touring storyteller who, wherever he goes, is drawn by crowds of people talking about the inner workings of football (and lacrosse!) and recounting his experiences spanning half a century in the NFL.
If you’ve ever seen the movie “History of the World: Part 1,” you may remember Mel Brooks saying, “It’s good to be the king.” And so it is with Belichick. It’s good to be Bill. Yes, it should be noted for accounting purposes that Belichick was fired as head coach of the New England Patriots following the 2023 season, but for now it appears he’s enjoying the stress that comes with being a boss on the NFL sidelines.
He’s wealthy and healthy-looking. Belichick, 72, has been spotted with a younger woman, prompting reactions ranging from pearl-clutching to attaboys in the public’s peanut gallery. He’s signed up for a smorgasbord of high-paying media gigs. He was spotted at a spring football practice at the University of Washington, where his son Steve is the Huskies’ new defensive coordinator. He attended a Northwestern University women’s lacrosse game against Ohio State.
Oh, and there was that spring visit with the Nebraska football program, which included a clinic with the players and a long, deep skull session with the coaching staff. For those who didn’t get to see Cornhusker coach Matt Rhule brag about Bill, here are some highlights:
“He’s so smart, he’s seen so much, he can make the complex so simple, it’s humbling and it’s embarrassing,” Rhule said. “I was embarrassed yesterday listening to him talk about how smart he is, how simple it was.
“He went 4 1/2 hours alone with the coaches — forget the clinic,” said the Nebraska coach, who was born on Jan. 31, 1975, about the time Belichick settled in at Wesleyan University for the spring semester of his senior year. “He came in and talked to our coaching staff. After three and a half hours, I said, ‘Coach, do you want a water? Or coffee? Do you want to go to the bathroom?’ Because I really had to go to the bathroom.
“And he was like, ‘I’m good, man,'” Rhule said. “And I was like, yes sir. Just sitting there and just talking, and his memories from 15 years ago… the only reason we don’t get more information is because he has to talk slower to make sure you understand what he’s saying.”
See? Good to be Bill. For anyone who thinks he’s cooped up on Nantucket, ball bearings spinning in his hand and yearning for the glitz and glamour of the NFL, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Kyle Shanahan offered Bill Belichick any job he wanted, including Defensive Coordinator.
Could you figure out Bill with that San Francisco 49ers defense? #PMSLive photo.twitter.com/4KPa0YnlT5
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) July 24, 2024
And yet … it makes sense that Belichick would eventually emerge as head coach, sooner rather than later. All it would take is one owner getting his blood boiling over an early-season loss late in the afternoon, and then, presto: There’s Bill Belichick at the introductory press conference, telling the team how excited he is to be the new head coach of (insert team name here).
The what’s-in-it-for-Bill part, besides a truckload of money, is that Belichick is desperate to surpass the late Don Shula for all-time NFL coaching victories. That’s mostly true, sure. Shula amassed 347 head-coaching victories (including playoffs) during his 33 seasons with the Miami Dolphins (1970-1995) and the old Baltimore Colts (1963-1969), and Belichick, with 333 coaching victories, needs just 15 more happy postgame handshakes to secure the top spot.
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If you’re wondering why I’m bringing this out, largely true, it’s because some context is needed. Yes, we all have egos, and as such, jeez, to be recognized as the NFL’s all-time leader in something is pretty cool.
There’s also a group that believes Belichick is reaching for the afterlife and giving Shula some kind of heavenly retribution. Shula, you’ll recall, had some pretty unflattering things to say after Belichick’s 2007 Patriots were caught secretly taping defensive signals being relayed by Jets coaches.
“The Spygate thing has undermined their performance,” Shula told the New York Daily News. “You’d hate to have that tied to your performance. They have.”
Shula is also said to have called Belichick “Beli-cheat”. Not very original, but extra weighty considering Shula’s place in NFL history.
But that word — history — is why Belichick wants to coach in the NFL long enough to break the record. When I consider that Bill didn’t invite me to the island so we could discuss this over grilled king salmon paillard at the Ships Inn, I guess it’s history calling.
GO DEEPER
Bill Belichick Joins Panel for CW’s ‘Inside the NFL’
We’ve all heard the stories about Belichick and football history, how he has an extensive collection of weighty books on the subject. We’ve heard about his Friday press conferences during the Patriot years and how, with the game plan mapped out for Sunday, all the media’s questions fielded, the interview room now reduced to hardy reporters who actually know a thing or two about football, Belichick would wander off into football history. It was Story Time with Bill, and he could tell those stories without notes.
Belichick has made a lot of history. Hell, he’s coached six Super Bowl-winning teams. And that’s eight Super Bowl-winning teams if you count his years as a defensive wizard with the New York Giants under Bill Parcells.
Bill Belichick gives an extensive analysis of Drake Maye photo.twitter.com/u7S1CzR5qS
— Savage (@SavageSports_) July 24, 2024
We can talk about ego if you want. We can talk about Shula’s revenge. But I say it’s the history that inspires Belichick, that motivates him. Until then, there’s Nebraska football and Northwestern women’s lacrosse, along with “Inside the NFL” on The CW, the “Manningcast” on ESPN and other heavy-coin TV appearances.
It’s good to be Bill, okay. It’ll be even better for Belichick when he gets his 348th coaching win.
(Photo of Bill Belichick greeting Tom Brady during his induction into the Patriots Hall of Fame in June: Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images)
