books

The Education of A Coach
by David Halberstam

From the book flap: Bill Belichick is one of the most intriguing yet enigmatic figures in contemporary American sports. He is the best professional football coach of our era, and his New England Patriot teams are the winners of three of the last four Super Bowls—including one of the most stunning upsets in that championship series. Yet until now, Belichick has deliberately stayed as far from the spotlight as possible, proving himself as elusive as he is talented.
          In The Education of a Coach, the distinguished writer-historian David Halberstam paints a dazzling portrait of a man and his profession, revealing both the intimate world of Bill Belichick and the unique abilities that make him so successful: his exceptional intelligence, his ability to break down and exploit game film, his singular discipline, and his almost unmatched work ethic. Working with an unusual degree of cooperation from Belichick, Halberstam shows us a man acutely aware of all the forces in contemporary sports that work against the old-fashioned concept of team, who has somehow managed to change his players' view of how the game should be played. The result is a book not just about Bill Belichick, but about what it means to be a leader.
          Halberstam begins with the story of Bill Belichick's childhood and the enormous and lasting influence of his father, Navy coach Steve Belichick. Considered the best scout of his era, Steve taught his son to break down film at the age of nine. What we come to witness are dual journeys, the first of the immigrant Belichick family moving from the harsh, unsparing world of the steel mills of Ohio into the mainstream of American life, and the second of Bill Belichick's systematic climb to the top of his profession, in no small part because of a family work ethic forged in those same steel mills.
          Using his trademark powers of reporting and storytelling, Halberstam, in his first ever book on football, takes us deep into the mind of a great coach. By exploring how Belichick arrived where he is, Halberstam reveals to readers the strategies and deep-seated ideals that have helped Belichick create his winning legacy and set a new standard for what a coach should be.
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This is David Halberstam's twentieth book. The previous fourteen, starting with The Best and the Brightest in 1972, have all been national bestsellers. That includes his six previous books on sports, The Breaks of the Game, The Amateurs, Summer of '49, October 1964, Playing for Keeps, and The Teammates. He is the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for his early reporting from Vietnam. His book on the Korean War will be published by Hyperion in the fall of 2006.

FOOTBALL SCOUTING METHODS
by Steve Belichick

PATRIOTS UNITED
by Bryan Morry
Special contribution by Bill Belichick

"Every so often a sports team comes along and captures the imagination and heart of not only its own fan base, but of all sports fans. The 1969 New York Mets, the 1980 US Olympic Hockey team, Jim Valvano's 1983 North Carolina State basketball team, to name a few. In 2001, it was the New England Patriots. In a year when 'United We Stand' never rang truer, the Patriots epitomized that philosophy. When they finally marched into the Louisiana Superdome and were announced not as individuals, but as one, the world realized what New England fans already knew—this team was special. Three hours later, they were world champions. One last-second, heart-stopping, game-winning field goal washed away 42 years of trials and tribulations. Finally, the postgame celebration of red, white and blue confetti rained down on our team. Finally, the Lombardi Trophy was being held over the heads of Patriots. Re-live all the emotion from the Patriots amazing season, from draft day to Super Sunday, in this masterfully crafted, official keepsake filled with never-before-published photos and stories. Through its pages, capture the essence of what it meant to be a Patriot. The 2001 Patriots, under the guidance of Head Coach Bill Belichick, scoffed at adversity, never wavered and seized their moment of glory. In Belichick's own words, 2001 was 'Our Time.'"
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TALES FROM THE PATRIOTS SIDELINE
by Michael Felger
Epilogue by Bill Belichick

From the Epilogue by Bill Belichick:
When I reflect on all that transpired on my way to becoming the head coach of the New England Patriots, I find myself more and more humbled by the accomplishments of our players and organization. It was a long and circuitous road, but one that has led to greater satisfaction than I could have imagined.
     Several New England and Patriots-related events and circumstances have intertwined throughout my life and career. In one form or another, be it personal, educational, family or professional—close to 1000 players, 100 coaches and 450 games—the one constant for me has always been New England. Wherever I've gone, wherever I've been, all roads seem to lead me back here.
     In January 2000, Robert Kraft entered the picture and offered me the opportunity to coach the Patriots. Actually, I had known Robert for six years, dating back to our first meeting in January 1995, when I was head coach of the Browns. After the Browns eliminated the Patriots from the playoffs, Robert stopped by the Cleveland locker room to offer his congratulations to me—a classy move. In my whole career, I cannot recall any other owner, executive or coach doing this to my team.
     Two years later I came to the Patriots as Assistant Head Coach and developed a much closer relationship with Robert and found that our philosophies on business in football had many similarities. Our appearance in Super Bowl XXXI that season was a highlight in my coaching career to that point. Now, it pales in comparison to our recent championships. Robert has provided tremendous resources to the team, as well as great personal friendship through my years with the Patriots. It has been a very fruitful partnership.
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PATRIOT REIGN:
Bill Belichick, the Coaches, and the Players Who Built a Champion
by Michael Holley

From the book flap:
When Bill Belichick arrived in New England, the Patriots were a laughingstock, an organization with a losing record, spiraling morale, salary cap problems, and a bloated payroll filled with a who's who of underperforming players. Belichick was supposed to change all that. But there were many questions: Could he turn it around? Could he win without Bill Parcells? He is smart, certainly, some would say a genius, but could he inspire and motivate a team to win it all? After his mediocre run as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, and the strange end to his relationship with Parcells and the New York Jets, what kind of head coach could he be?
     Four years later, he has two Lombardi trophies in his hands, and the Patriots organization has become the gold standard in professional football. How did they do it? With unprecedented access granted by Belichick and his staff, author Michael Holley takes us deep inside the heart of a champion. A fly on the wall for two years, Holley captures Belichick at his most candid in team, coaches, and production meetings. What emerges is a portrait of a complicated man who is cerebral, yes, but also tough, demanding, stubborn, funny, profane, and a master strategist.
     With his brain trust—Scott Pioli, Romeo Crennel, Charlie Weis, and Ernie Adams—Belichick has imposed a winning system and painstakingly selected players who thrive in that system. Holley provides, for the first time, insights into how Belichick and his coaching Cabinet prepare for opponents, evaluate talent, run the draft, and how they design their offensive and defensive schemes. Readers will also learn the real stories behind the controversial Drew Bledsoe trade and the cutting of Lawyer Milloy, and how Belichick fought to keep the team together.
     Frank, uncompromising, and stunning, Patriot Reign is required reading for football fans who want to understand what makes a champion tick.
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Read the full Introduction
Read Bill Belichick's comments on the book made during his weekly radio interview on Boston's WEEI, Sept. 20, 2004

FOOTBALL PHYSICS
by Timothy Gay, Ph.D.
Foreword by Bill Belichick

From the Foreword by Bill Belichick:
As the father of physics, Isaac Newton changed our understanding of the world. His laboratory at Cambridge was a model of scholarly isolation, and his dedication to his work was complete. But had Newton worked at a 21st century American university that fielded a football team, he would have been able to get out in the sun and observe firsthand how the laws he discovered affected play. That's what Tim Gay does in Football Physics, in engaging fashion…
     A coach uses physics too. When we prepare for the annual NFL draft, we look at each player's speed and his quickness. This book provides the best discussion of the difference between the two that I've seen.
     Whether your primary interest is popular science or pro football, you will enjoy Football Physics. You'll learn something about the way the world words, and you will come away with an increased appreciation for some fine points of a great game.

From the author: "My teammates at Andover during my senior year included the likes of Bill Belichick … Ernie Adams, now working with Belichick at New England … and Milt Holt. … As for Coach Belichick, he was something of a football guru even as a postgraduate student at Andover. On a couple of occasions when we were in a tough spot, I remember Coach Sorota sidling over to Bill, having a brief conversation, nodding, and going back to his place on the sidelines. We won the New England Prep championship that year."
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WE GOT FIRED! …AND IT'S THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO US
by Harvey MacKay

From the chapter on Bill Belichick:
Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell called up Bill Belichick, the team's coach. They day before, February 13, the team had negotiated its way out of its lease with the city for the Browns' Cleveland stadium. The next day, Bill was fired.
     "Art Modell told me, 'I'm going to go in another direction,'" Bill recalled. "Harvey, I was a little disappointed. I had worked for the guy for five years and had spent a few nights on the couch. Look, I understand this business. We lost the games, and I won't say my performance was perfect. At the same time, a phone call that they would 'go in a different direction' a month and a half after the season ended…" A little disappointed! That call might have left Bill high and dry for work the following season. Half the coaches I know would have hurled an icy bucket of Gatorade smack at that gilded photo of the owner's puss in the team offices' lobby…
     His next job required a step back. First, in 1996, Belichick became assistant head coach in New England, and the Patriots went to their first Super Bowl since 1986. Then for the following three seasons, he was assistant head coach for the New York Jets under Bill Parcells. In 2000, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft named Bill Belichick head coach of the Patriots…
     Methodically, Belichick built the existing New England franchise and added other pivotal team members. The result? Super Bowl championships in both [2001] and [2003].
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HOW GOOD DO YOU WANT TO BE?
by Nick Saban
Foreword by Bill Belichick

From the Foreword by Bill Belichick:
"Committed to winning." It sounds so simple, but over thirty years in coaching I've seen so many coaches, teams, and programs get off-track. For any team, company, or individual striving for success, there are an incredible number of factors to weigh, obstacles to overcome, forces with which to contend. It is all too easy to get distracted or be defeated. But Nick Saban's commitment to winning is as pure and effective as exists anywhere in the game. I know firsthand that he has both a mastery of self-improvement and the management skills required to teach a large group of people how to adopt and implement a single, coherent vision.
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TALES FROM THE BROWNS SIDELINE
by Tony Grossi

From the author's interview with Bill Belichick:
No coach in Browns history was excoriated as severely in the media and by fans as Bill Belichick.
     Through a myriad of circumstances—some in Belichick's control, and others out of his control—the five years beginning in 1991 and ending with owner Art Modell moving his team to Baltimore are considered the darkest period of the old Browns.
     Belichick was the league's hottest head coach candidate after he coordinated the New York Giants defense to a Super Bowl victory over the high-scoring Buffalo Bills. His discipline and no-nonsense approach were seen by Modell as necessary qualities to steer the Browns through a painful transition period.
     "There were a lot of great Cleveland players when I got there who were at the end of their careers," Belichick recalled. "Whether I released them and they never played again, or they played marginally for a year or two afterwards, there was a long list of them."
     Early on, Belichick had several run-ins with popular players. An increasing backlash from fans obscured the fact that his teams were getting better.
     But his release of quarterback Bernie Kosar in the middle of his third season was a cause celebre that polarized the market and launched a lynch mob mentality…
     Despite the abuse and grief he took from fans and media in Cleveland, Belichick never held it against them. "Football was so important to everybody in that area," he said. "All the interest and the knowledge the fans had for the game was special. To be part of that was breathtaking. It was an overwhelming feeling."
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