All Things Scott Pioli: Story Archive



	2008 stories
	Same Time, This Year, And Giants Know What To Do 25-Dec-2008, New York Times "Several years ago, before one of the Patriots' three Super Bowl victories, I posed a question to Scott Pioli, the stealth personnel and salary-cap maven behind Bill Belichick's head-coaching genius: Why are football executives seldom celebrated like baseball's – Billy Beane and Theo Epstein, to name two? Pioli looked at me as if I'd asked why offensive lineman can't fly. 'If you're in this for the trappings of the game, you're in this for the wrong reasons,' he said. 'And that higher-profile garbage is part of the trappings.'" full story

	Ask Reiss: Patriots Mailbag 23-Dec-2008, Boston Globe Q: "…Can you explain, from a practical point of view, what Scott Pioli does, and what his day-to-day working relationship with the coaching staff and Patriots upper management is?" A: "…Pioli, as I understand it, oversees all of the team's scouts and also evaluates players on the college and pro side. Sometimes he's in the office. Sometimes he's on the road. He is in high-level meetings with Robert Kraft, Jonathan Kraft and Bill Belichick. I think part of what makes the arrangement work is that Pioli and his personnel staff have good linkage to the coaching side, and they do well evaluating players based on how they would fit in the Patriots' scheme. Pioli is obviously a big part of that." full mailbag

	They Just Keep Going 09-Dec-2008, New York Times "The Patriots still could miss the playoffs, but in a season beset by injuries, Scott Pioli, the team's vice president for player personnel, has done a remarkable job fitting in spare parts to keep the engine running – hello, BenJarvus Green-Ellis. The Patriots deserved raves last year for the dominant team they assembled, but this season might serve as a quieter, but more impressive example of their resourcefulness. Shouldn't the Lions make Pioli an overwhelming offer to try to bring that resourcefulness to Detroit?" full story

	Patriots' Success Finds Offshoot In Atlanta: Ex-Pioli protégé Dimitroff helps build Falcons into winning franchise 28-Nov-2008, NBC Sports "A protégé of Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli, [Thomas] Dimitroff's got the same limelight-shunning, credit-sharing traits Pioli's shown in his time building the Patriots dynasty. He doesn't want the Falcons success to be about him. He knows that from his six seasons in New England that, if selflessness starts at the top, it filters down quickly. … The relationship Dimitroff and Pioli built in New England is strong. People talk about 'coaching trees'. The scouting tree branching off from Pioli in New England is now beginning to blossom. 'Scott is a strong personality – very passionate about football, a very detailed administrator, a very adept evaluator. The way he orchestrated the personnel side and got the proper information and proper direction of the team and system from Bill Belichick and was able to disseminate that information to me and the scouting staff, we all felt we were on the proverbial same page. And that was very important going out to scout. We weren't just writing people up for the league; we were writing people up for the New England Patriots. That's something that sunk deep. I've been involved in other regimes and nowhere did I learn more than being around Scott and Bill and from Scott's approach to scouting.'" full story

	Good Scouts Pioli And Dimitroff Display A Personnel Touch 23-Nov-2008, Boston Globe "Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli and his former understudy, Thomas Dimitroff, enjoyed a two-day scouting reunion last week, as they found themselves together at the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech as part of their standard scouting schedules. … Last week's trip reflects that Dimitroff and Pioli, at the core, remain true to the fundamentals of scouting. Watching tape from the office is one thing, and overseeing and organizing an entire scouting staff is another, but nothing can substitute making in-person visits, scouts often say." full story

	NFL's Top 10 Executive Of The Year Candidates 22-Nov-2008, Sporting News "[R]emember this: The most important hire isn't always the coach, but the guy charged with stocking the roster. … Here are the 10 best jobs done by such men, the leaders for executive of the year, to this point in 2008: … 6. Scott Pioli, New England Patriots: First, he and the coaches had the wherewithal to hang on to Matt Cassel through some struggles, and that's paying off big-time. Then, there's rookie linebacker Jerod Mayo, who looks a lot like Patrick Willis did for the 49ers as a rookie, meaning he's been an absolute beast. If there's a flaw, it'd be in the holes that haven't been filled at corner. Perhaps the league's finest personnel man, Pioli would be able to name his price should he ever seriously entertain the idea of leaving New England." full story

	Peter King: Monday Morning QB 17-Nov-2008, SI.com "It's funny how you judge drafts sometimes. Look at the top of New England's draft in 2007, for instance, and here's what you see… Someday we may look at this draft as the one that propelled the Patriots to a second wave of championship contending, the way the 49ers look at the '86 draft (and trade for Steve Young). … Pats VP of Player Personnel Scott Pioli is pretty good at his job, taking three picks at the bottom of the first three rounds and turning them into three of the 10 most important players on the New England roster. It'll be interesting to see if Detroit, San Francisco or some other team that blows up its front office after the season goes after Pioli hard. Why wouldn't they?" full story

	Steve Mariucci Praises Patriots 14-Nov-2008, Boston Herald "'From a coach's viewpoint, I watch them and say they have this injury and that injury and their production should fall off, and it doesn't seem to fall off as dramatically as some other teams. That means they're finding guys as free agents, they're doing their homework, they're looking under every rock for the best players they can find, and they have done maybe the best job in the National Football League with their complete roster of 53 players and practice squad guys. It's been excellent. And you have to credit Scott Pioli for that and his staff.' Mariucci couldn't say enough about the gold mine of unknowns the Pats have discovered. 'This whole thing is more than Tom Brady and Matt Cassel,' he said." full story \| full audio

	Obscure Players Win For Pats 09-Nov-2008, Associated Press "This win belongs to Scott Pioli. OK, and to Bill Belichick because he has a lot to do with who New England signs and who it doesn't. In any case, look at the stars of the Patriots' 20-10 win over Buffalo on Sunday and you see guys who nobody would have expected a couple of months ago to be leading a team that still resides atop the AFC East. They are tied with the Jets despite a plethora of injuries, including one to Tom Brady that ended his season before it began. Matt Cassel, Brady's replacement, was one of Sunday's stars. Plus BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Gary Guyton and even the well-traveled Deltha O'Neal, a kind of desperation throw-in at cornerback for a decimated secondary. That's because while every team knows it will have injuries, Pioli and Belichick plan for them." full story

	New England's 12th Man November 2008, Fra Noi "Pioli is one of the most respected men in the league, a reputation that has earned him Executive of the Year awards from the Sporting News, Pro Football Weekly, USA Today and Sports Illustrated, among others. Players acquired by him have garnered numerous MVP and Pro Bowl honors. He could have had a more prestigious, higherpaying job with teams that tried to woo him like the Giants, Browns, Seahawks and Dolphins, but turned them down. Belichick has the final word on who plays, but in drafting and free agency he entrusts the table-setting to Pioli, who embraces the team concept and prefers to be a role player." full story (.pdf)

	Teams Unafraid To Play For Future Are Finding Immediate Success 03-Nov-2008, SI.com "My take on this week, and the first half of this NFL season, is this: The good teams, and the pleasant surprises, are the teams that plan for the future while trying to win championships today. … I include New England in this group for a simple reason: Tom Brady has played for eight minutes in 2008, and the Patriots are 5-3. There are lots of good stories in the first half of the season, but none are as surprising as New England sharing the AFC East lead with Matt Cassel playing quarterback for 31 of the team's 32 quarters. The Cassel story illustrates why the Bill Belichick/Scott Pioli way is so effective." full story

	Pats' No. 2 Man Breaks His Silence – Sort Of 26-Oct-2008, Worcester Telegram "Pioli, now in his ninth season as vice president of player personnel, isn't heard from very often even though he's arguably the second-most influential person employed at 1 Patriot Place. The subject … was the NFL Draft. … While football is a violent sport, the Patriots put a lot of stock in brain power. Taking it a step further, they're looking for players who can not only think, but do so on their feet. 'A very smart person told me one time don't ever get intelligence confused with the ability to make good decisions,' Pioli said. 'In this game, it's the ability to make good decisions, under pressure, quickly. And that's a different form of intelligence. I've been around a number of quarterbacks who are highly, highly intelligent, but they can't make the right decision quickly. For us, intelligence is very important.'" full story

	Already Feeling A Draft: But Patriots' Pioli Warming To Task 12-Oct-2008, Boston Globe "The NFL draft is more than six months away, but for Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli, it is at the forefront of his thought process. That's part of being a player personnel decision maker. The future is never far off. Pioli, clad in a black shirt, jeans, and sandals, sat down with a group of reporters Friday morning at the San Jose Marriott and shed some light on how the Patriots go about the scouting and evaluation process for college prospects. He deflected questions about being rumored for other jobs (the latest being the Detroit Lions') and whether the Patriots will do anything before Tuesday's NFL trade deadline ('I have no idea'), keeping the focus of the 57-minute sit-down on his passion for the process of player discovery and evaluation." full story

	Patriots' Pioli Already Thinking About Next Year's Draft 12-Oct-2008, Providence Journal "This week, as the New England Patriots remained in the California Bay Area preparing for today's game against San Diego, vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli was bouncing up and down the West Coast doing some prep work of his own. Pioli is getting ready for the draft – yes, the 2009 NFL Draft, more than six months from now. But as he explained to a small group of reporters on Friday morning, while many are focused on the week-to-week results of the Patriots this season, the work he and the team's scouts are doing now is vital to the team's success going forward." full story

	How Do '08 Patriots Move On? 14-Aug-2008, USA Today "[T]he men in red, white and blue begin anew. The Super Bowl is behind them, and maybe the next one is in front of them. They cannot repair the past. They can look only to the future. … 'You improve by winning it all, which we didn't do last year,' says Scott Pioli, the Patriots' vice president of player personnel. 'You improve by finishing what we started and you improve by continuing to build your team toward the future as well.' … Suggesting the Patriots played poorly [in Super Bowl XLII] does a disservice to the Giants. 'I think it's disrespectful to the Giants, their defensive line, their front seven and their coaching staff. They did a tremendous job that day, they really did,' Pioli says." full story

	Dan Klecko Back In The Hunt 12-Aug-2008, Philadelphia Inquirer "It was a difficult moment for the son and a proud one for the father. Dan Klecko, after collecting a couple of Super Bowl rings, was cut by the New England Patriots before the 2006 season. Most dads of NFL players don't get phone calls from the coach and general manager when their sons are released. Joe Klecko, a four-time Pro Bowler during his 12-year NFL career, did. Patriots general manager Scott Pioli and head coach Bill Belichick felt the need to tell Joe Klecko what he already knew about his son. 'Both of them told me how hard it was to cut him because of how much integrity they felt he had,' the father said yesterday by cell phone. 'That meant more to me than any of the Super Bowl rings he has.'" full story

	Pats' VP Pioli Returns To CCSU 01-May-2008, Hartford Courant "After the NFL draft concluded early [Sunday] evening, Pioli and coach Bill Belichick sifted through a long list of rookie free agents and identified those who could possibly help the team. The architects of the Patriots spent Monday signing those players. The post-draft duties resumed Tuesday and Pioli had a speaking engagement for club seat holders that evening at Gillette Stadium. Afterward he drove to Connecticut and checked into the Farmington Marriott around 1 a.m. Pioli's hectic schedule continued Wednesday with two public appearances at his alma mater. In the morning, he addressed a group of New Britain's business and community leaders that included Mayor Timothy Stewart. Then at night he gave a speech at Central to students in management and business classes in Torp Theater. The topic: how to build a championship team." full story

	VIDEO: Scott Pioli Pre-Draft Thoughts 26-Apr-2008, NFL Network "Kara Henderson catches up with Scott Pioli of the Patriots to discuss thoughts heading into the draft." full video

	Pioli Clearly Knows What He's Looking For 26-Apr-2008, Boston Globe "This year the Patriots have the seventh pick in the draft, which commences today with Rounds 1 and 2. However, a top-10 pick doesn't mean the Patriots will deviate from their philosophy. 'I don't think your philosophy changes,' said Pioli. 'The philosophy of our draft is to find good players that fit our system, scheme-wise and makeup-wise. I don't think it really matters where you're picking in the draft or in the first round. You're trying to accomplish the same thing. It's just a different pool of players. You want to be right, whether you're picking at No. 1 or No. 32; you want to be right in the decision.'" full story
	Pioli Recalls First Meeting With Belichick 01-Feb-2008, Newsday "'He understands that I'm passionate about football, I love football, and this is what I want to do for the rest of my life, and he takes me in and shows me this inner sanctum, this world,' Pioli said. 'Bill had nothing to gain through that relationship. A lot of times in life, unfortunately, people cultivate relationships with other people because there's going to be some gain. They've got something in mind, they have some agenda. That was the start of a friendship in its purest form. That's the part of Bill Belichick that a lot of you don't see, that you can't see because of the way that it's set up.'" full story

	Scott Pioli on The Dale & Holley Show 31-Jan-2008, WEEI full audio \| download the mp3

	Super Bowl XLII Report, January 31: The Date 31-Jan-2008, Rocky Mountain News "Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli can remember the exact day he went from being a committed fan to football hopeful. 'Sept. 23, 1973,' Pioli said. That happened to be the day Pioli, a Washingtonville, N.Y., native, attended a Giants-Eagles game with his father, courtesy of two tickets provided by a neighbor. 'It was the only game I ever went to growing up and it changed my life,' Pioli said. 'The last play of the game, Pete Gogolak kicked a field goal in the end zone we were sitting in. The ball landed just a section over from where we were to tie the game at 23-23. It was the last game they had in Yankee Stadium.'" full story

	Pioli Is Comfortable In Current Role With Pats 31-Jan-2008, Philadelphia Daily News "For reasons that are as evident as the Super Bowl rings on his fingers, Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli is one of the most coveted front-office executives in the NFL. If he put out the word today that he wanted to run his own show somewhere, there would be no shortage of teams bidding for his services tomorrow. … Pioli acknowledged he's been occasionally tempted when contacted about general manager openings around the league. But not enough yet to consider leaving Belichick and the Patriots. 'So far, this is the place I've wanted to be,' he said. 'It's not just about the job. It's about family. It's about quality of life. And right now, the quality of life is pretty good.'" full story

	They Won't Stand Pat: New England already preparing for future 31-Jan-2008, Philadelphia Daily News "'We approached the last offseason the [same] way we do every offseason,' Pioli insisted. 'The thought process before every off-season is, you're going to do some things, you're going to try to bring in players to improve your football team. Sometimes you're going to have the opportunity to [get them], sometimes you're not. There have been times in the past when we've been just as aggressive as we were last year. We've chased after players and not gotten them. But we don't publicize who we're chasing after. So, you all don't know how many times we run into a parked car. Fortunately, for whatever reason, a lot of the players we went after last year chose to be here, wanted to be here.'" full story

	Pioli Already Looking Ahead To Next Year 30-Jan-2008, Providence Journal "'The reason I was late coming down here,' Pioli said yesterday morning while seated in the stands at the University of Phoenix Stadium during the Patriots' portion of Media Day, 'is that I spent Sunday with the college scouts, preparing for the draft, and then spent Monday with the pro scouts, preparing for free agency.' … 'This is wonderful,' said Pioli, looking at the wild and wacky scene along the sidelines at the site of Sunday's game. 'But we're six weeks behind now. On the flight home, I guarantee you we're going to spend some time talking about our plans for the draft and free agency.'" full story

	The Child Is Father To The Man 29-Jan-2008, Sports Central "While attending Giants training camp at Pace University before his senior year of college, Pioli was introduced to Belichick. The two have remained together since, even as Pioli maintains close ties to his community and his Giants roots. Each year, Pioli joins the Giants in supporting the WEL Foundation, a non-profit established by high school football teammate and continued Giants fan John Luedke to assist the needy in their native Orange County and beyond. 'Scotty's a very caring and giving person,' says [John] Luedke of his lifelong friend. 'That's one of the things that have made our relationship so close.' Like so many on opposite shores of the Hudson, it's a relationship that thrives because of its differences, rather than in spite of them." full story

	Scott Pioli Press Conference at Super Bowl XLII Media Day 29-Jan-2008, NFL On advice that he received over the years: "Some of the best advice that I [ever] got was from my high school coach, Frank Green. My college coaches. I don't think that there is this great epiphany [that] all of a sudden you learn all this information [on] how to evaluate players. If you play the game the whole time that you go through the process, you learn about football. As a player, you learn how to evaluate players that you're getting ready to play. Tom Dimitroff, Sr., who was a scout for us in Cleveland, Bill Belichick obviously. I learned from Michael Lombardi. They're a lot of people who had a lot of different bits and pieces of this [success]. It's not just one lump sum that you learn at one time." full quotes

	Bill Belichick's comments about Scott Pioli at Super Bowl XLII Media Day 29-Jan-2008, New England Patriots "I can't say enough about what Scott's done for me and our organization. Scott and I have a great working relationship. I think that even though there are times that we disagree, we're always able to work it out and be honest with… It doesn't matter who's right and who's wrong; it's important that we get it right in the end. That's one of the things that I really appreciate about Scott. He works very hard. He's well prepared. Nobody spends more time and diligence at his job than Scott Pioli does." full transcript

	PFW: Audibles 29-Jan-2008, Pro Football Weekly "You hear a lot about Bill Belichick's coaching tree, but take a look at some of the guys Scott Pioli has hired: [Eagles vice president of player personnel] Jason Licht, [Falcons GM] Thomas Dimitroff, [Patriots WR coach] Nick Caserio, [Patriots offensive coordinator] Josh McDaniels. Every year, they have to reload because their personnel department is getting raided." full column

	Giants And Pats Were Winning Before The Season Even Started 25-Jan-2008, NBC Sports "The groundwork for next year's success is begun before the current season even ends. Personnel chiefs Scott Pioli of the Patriots and Jerry Reese of the Giants got their wins before the fourth of July. 5 HUGE MOVES – Patriots – 1. Randy Moss trade: In exchange for a fourth-round pick, the Patriots secured the services of the league's most gifted receiver. And he had a good year with 23 touchdown catches. 2. Wes Welker heist … 3. Draft Day maneuver … 4. Asante Samuel standoff … 5. Adalius Thomas signing…" full story

	Youthful GMs Bring Success To Pats And Giants 25-Jan-2008, NBC Sports "Neither one is a spotlight monger. Both are viewed as tireless workers. And they are both smart, businesslike and 'value-driven' when it comes to organizing their roster. The two men also represent the changing of the NFL guard in personnel departments in which men who came up completely in the salary-cap era bring an informed knowledge of contracts, pro and college scouting to their jobs. It's not enough to just be able to identify quality players. You also have to be able to finagle contracts, massage egos and provide the head coach with players that fit the system." full story

	Built Smart: Patriots, Giants owe Super roots to draft 24-Jan-2008, USA Today "The old maxim says defense wins championships. But prescient drafting may be even more vital. 'The No. 1 key for a successful franchise – even more important than the owner and head coach – is an outstanding talent evaluator,' says former Dallas Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson, now an analyst for Fox, who won two Super Bowls in the 1990s with Dallas while laying the groundwork for another Cowboys crown. … 'All these owners are going to spend money on players, and you can get coaches who know X's and O's. … But the difference between winning and losing championships is bringing in players and managing the cap.'" full story

	Pioli, Belichick Plan Is Perfect For Pats 22-Jan-2008, FOX Sports "Behind the men, there's the man. It's easy to cite the genius (Bill Belichick) and the greatness (Tom Brady) of the 18-0 New England Patriots. But as Bill Belichick hoisted another Lamar Hunt Trophy – his 4th AFC title this decade – I couldn't help but think of Scott Pioli, New England's extraordinary vice president of player personnel, and his great role in the unprecedented success of the Patriots. It is the team work of the two men that has catapulted New England to new heights." full story

	Mike Vrabel AFC Championship Week Press Conference 18-Jan-2008, New England Patriots "I think that we have a lot of guys on our team that have been successful, like you said, and have had individual success on other teams. I think that they bring a lot to this team. I think all the way back in 2001, when I think Bill [Belichick] and Scott [Pioli] kind of started to transform this team into what they wanted it to be, and then it's been a tough team to make ever since then. They always bring in talented guys and positions are deep at training camp and every position has eight or 10 guys and it's a tough team to make." full video + transcript

	2007 PFW/PFWA Awards: Executive of the Year 18-Jan-2008, Pro Football Weekly "[T]he resolute status of the Patriots' front office stands as the exception to the division's conundrum. Since his arrival in New England in 2000, Patriots V.P. of player personnel Scott Pioli has seemingly always pulled the right strings when it comes to shaping the roster. In a 2007 season that might have very well been his finest to date, Pioli captured the Pro Football Weekly/Professional Football Writers of America Executive of the Year honors for the second time." full story

	Rick Gosselin's NFL Awards 06-Jan-2008, Dallas Morning News "Executive: Scott Pioli, VP personnel, New England. New England needed better weapons to score with Indianapolis and overtake the Colts in the AFC. So Pioli traded for Randy Moss and Wes Welker and signed Donté Stallworth in free agency. Voila, the Patriots are suddenly the highest-scoring team in NFL history and only the second unbeaten team of the Super Bowl era." full story

	Our Own Postseason Awards 04-Jan-2008, San Francisco Chronicle "Executive of the Year: Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli works closely with Coach of the Year Belichick in player personnel matters. Belichick engineered the deal that pilfered Moss from Oakland in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick, but Pioli worked the other steals, bringing in playmakers Welker, Donté Stallworth and Adalius Thomas." full story

	Bell Tolls: Award season honors NFL's past, present 04-Jan-2008, USA Today "The George Young Award: For executive of the year, New England's Scott Pioli gets some love. The Patriots traded for Welker, an ultimate blitz-killer who also throws a mean crackback block on running plays. And they traded a fourth-round pick for Moss, who kind of proved his naysayers wrong." full story


	2007 stories
	Terry Awards: Bradshaw's annual NFL kudos 30-Dec-2007, FOX Sports "On this week's FOX NFL Sunday, co-host Terry Bradshaw presented his 14th annual 'Terry Awards,' a celebration of the highs and lows of the 2007 season from Terry's very unique perspective. … Front Office Man of Year: Scott Pioli, Patriots." From the video – Bradshaw: "The undefeated Patriots are the best team in any town, and so Scott Pioli is my Front Office Man of the Year. He only gave up a 4th-Round pick to get Randy Moss." Pioli: "My mom's a huge Terry Bradshaw fan – sorry about that, Howie – and she wanted to know if there was going to be a big banquet or anything. I said, 'Hey, Terry still lives in the back woods. We're going to be having a big pig roast or something like that.'" full story + video

	Don Shula on the New England Patriots 30-Dec-2007, ESPN "I just think that Brady is so good. He's back in that shotgun and their offensive line gives them enough protection to get the ball off. And [Wes] Welker [Laughter] – they've got a guy that was here with the Dolphins and he's with them now. I think he's got 111 catches this year. And I just marvel at this guy the way that they use him and get him open in pressure situations. And then of course they've got Randy Moss on the outside, [Donté] Stallworth on the other side. Chris, the amazing thing is they didn't have those three receivers a year ago; so that's a real credit to their organization and their personnel guy, Scott Pioli." full transcript

	Bring Out The Brooms 27-Dec-2007, Rockford Register Star "The New England Patriots, after beating the New York Giants 27-17 Saturday night, will have swept all 16 regular-season foes. That will be just the start. Look for them to sweep all the major honors. … General Manager of the Year – Scott Pioli. This is the easiest vote ever. Anyone who can add wideouts Randy Moss, Donté Stallworth, Wes Welker and linebacker Adalius Thomas all in one offseason should probably go right into the Hall of Fame." full column

	Patriots Make All The Right Moves 27-Dec-2007, Orange County Register "Not one member of the New England Patriots carries the highest salary-cap figure at his position. Or the second. Or third. Or fourth. Asante Samuel has the fifth-highest number among NFL cornerbacks. Richard Seymour ranks ninth at defensive end. Rosevelt Colvin is the No. 8 linebacker. Tom Brady is 10th at quarterback. No other Patriot is in the top ten, and Vince Wilfork is 56th among defensive tackles. But then the Patriots don't live on the highest draft picks, either. At least not their own. They have not had a pick among the top five in the first round since Willie McGinest (fourth) in 1994. Seymour was sixth in 2001. None of their other first-round picks has been in the top 10, yet the Patriots have gotten value from every first-rounder since the 2000 draft, when they didn't have one. That was a decent deal, though – they gave the Jets that selection in exchange for Bill Belichick. Tom Brady, of course, was the 199th pick in the '99 draft. Despite all that, the Patriots have remained in business." full story

	Patriots' Pioli Always Finds The Gifts That Keep On Giving 23-Dec-2007, Providence Journal "I want to go Christmas shopping with Scott Pioli because I know he will find for me top-quality merchandise at bargain-basement prices. He will locate designer clothes in a rumpled pile on the sales table, mistakenly marked down from $400 to $4. He will notice that a 4-carat diamond has somehow wound up on a tray of zircons. He will spot a chinchilla coat that everybody else in the store thinks is rabbit. He is, after all, the man who brought Randy Moss to New England at the cost of a fourth-round draft choice. Has there ever been a bigger bargain?" full story

	Fine Line: Pioli has the Midas touch finding overlooked offensive linemen 22-Dec-2007, Eagle-Tribune "A converted tight end who was termed a second-round 'risk.' A former rodeo cowboy with a nasty on-field demeanor. And a fifth-round after-thought, taken mainly for his college's penchant for producing top offensive linemen. All three Patriots – tackle Matt Light, guard Logan Mankins and center Dan Koppen – represent top-of-the-chart hits on New England vice president Scott Pioli's resume. Each was named this week to the AFC squad in the Pro Bowl, a first for Koppen and Neal, and the second straight time for Light, who earned the nod through the back door as an alternate in 2006. There was no back door this time around for these three, and for that matter all eight Pats selected." full story

	Great Scott … Pioli's Personnel Wizardry the Perfect Complement to Belichick's Coaching Genius 25-Nov-2007, Eagle-Tribune "It's the annual question for Scott Pioli, usually saved for Super Bowl week. Why wait for the inevitable, right? Why isn't Pioli somewhere else? Why isn't he sitting behind a big, oak desk; pulling the strings for the entire football operations; carving out his own niche; pulling in a salary double or even triple his current salary; saving some other franchise from ruin? To put it succinctly: Why is he still around? (Disclaimer here: You're not going to like his answer.) 'Because I love my situation here,' said Pioli." full story

	The Midseason Notables 11-Nov-2007, Miami Herald "Executive of Half Year: New England's Scott Pioli totally revamped his team's receiving corps and did it on the cheap, acquiring Moss from Oakland for a fourth-round pick on draft day, Wes Welker from Miami for second- and seventh-round picks, and Donté Stallworth in free agency. In the final crucial minutes of the Colts game last week, those three played pitch and catch with Brady with virtual impunity in overcoming a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit to win." full story

	The P's Have It: Personnel chiefs Scott Pioli and Bill Polian are behind the success in New England and Indy 06-Nov-2007, Sports Illustrated "Polian and Pioli, who've been named Sporting News executive of the year a combined seven times, don't care much about public opinion. … Both executives hate the star system. 'Scott talked to our team after the Patriots won their first Super Bowl,' says Cleveland Indians general manager Mark Shapiro. 'He said, 'Who here has played in a World Series and an All-Star Game?' Eddie Murray was the only guy who raised his hand. Scott said, 'Which was better?' And Eddie said, 'No question, the World Series.' That was Scott's point – we all play this game to win championships.'" full story

	Patriots' Aim: To Win At Small Costs 06-Nov-2007, Chicago Tribune "Pioli is one of the most respected front-office men in the game. He almost certainly could have had more prestigious, better-paying jobs working for the Seahawks, Giants, Browns or Dolphins. But Pioli is a role player. And that has a trickle-down effect. The organization is full of role players – people who are willing to sacrifice individual glory for the good of the team. The concept may sound trite and maybe even unrealistic, but if you've been around the Patriots for any length of time, you can see that it defines them." full story

	In Good Hands 05-Nov-2007, SI.com "Three observations on Pats 24, Colts 20: New England's offseason won this game. Of the 13 biggest offensive plays for New England – the plays that would decide the outcome in the wildly noisy RCA Dome – 12 of them were handled by the three new Patriots receivers. … New England swooped in and got them all – for the remarkably manageable 2007 cap total of $8.4 million. Imagine getting an all-star receiving corps for eight percent of your overall cap. That's what VP of player personnel Scott Pioli and coach Bill Belichick did, and in the fourth quarter of the biggest game this year, those three players beat the defending Super Bowl champs." full story

	Plan Is Simple; The Results Spectacular 01-Nov-2007, NBC Sports "The 42-year-old native of Washingtonville, N.Y., is a two-time NFL Executive of the Year and yet, in an age of 'celebrity GMs even rabid fans might have a hard time picking Pioli out of a lineup. Like those who've sat across the table from him in contract negotiations – guys like Tedy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, Richard Seymour, Matt Light and Tom Brady – Pioli hasn't tried to chase every nickel or microphone. He runs the personnel side of the Patriots – everything from free agency to the draft to contract negotiations – in relative anonymity. Pioli scouts, rates and signs them; head coach Bill Belichick plays them. It's that simple." full story

	Patriots Operate In A Team-First Mode 01-Nov-2007, Los Angeles Times "[T]he coach isn't the only person within the organization quick to stomp a player seeking special treatment. Pioli recalls one free agent the Patriots brought in for a physical examination and interview. When he took a seat in Pioli's office – a windowless, unremarkable room in the heart of Gillette Stadium – the player opened the conversation with a complaint: the club didn't fly him first class the way other interested teams did. 'I looked at him and said, 'You're serious?' And he said, 'Yeah, I'm serious!' ' Pioli said. 'I said, 'I'm sorry you feel that way.' ' Pioli thanked him for his time and, to the surprise of the slack-jawed player, abruptly showed him the door." full story

	Patriots-Colts Tilt Pits Two Teams At Pinnacle Of NFL 31-Oct-2007, USA Today "The Patriots are on pace to set the league's all-time scoring record and are winning by an average 25.5-point margin with the No. 1-ranked offense. Brady, leading the league with a 74.2% completion rate and 30 TD passes, is armed with an overhauled receiving corps that includes Randy Moss, Donté Stallworth and Wes Welker. During the three Super Bowl championship years, the Patriots Offenses ranked 19th, 17th and seventh for total yards. Did the Patriots come to realize that to beat the Colts, they needed a high-powered offense? 'People read too much into that,' Scott Pioli, the Patriots vice president of player personnel, said this week. Stallworth was signed as an unrestricted free agent; Moss and Welker were obtained in trades. 'We approached the offseason like every other offseason,' Pioli said. 'The goal is to improve your football team, whether you're the best team in football or not.'" full story

	FOX NFL Sunday: Week 8 Roundtable 27-Oct-2007, FOX Sports CZAR: "Jimmy, give us a rundown on your five ingredients of building an NFL winning franchise." Jimmy Johnson: "My top ingredient is having the very best personnel evaluator that you can find. He's more important than a head coach. I think what makes New England pretty unique is that it is a two-man operation. It's Bill Belichick and personnel man Scott Pioli. They don't have a cap guy or a contract guy. And a lot of times, things fall through the cracks when building your team because you have a bean counter who's working the contract with the agents and he rips the player, trying to negotiate a good contract for the club. And the player ends up resenting the coach and the organization because of what was said during the negotiations. In New England that doesn't happen because the coach and talent evaluator are involved in the negotiations and that is so important. Of course, you need a winning quarterback, but he doesn't have to be a superstar. Brad Johnson and Trent Dilfer both won a Super Bowl. Yes, it's a lot easier if you have Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, but long-term the talent evaluator is more important than the head coach." full table

	Terry Francona on Scott Pioli 13-Oct-2007, Boston Globe "Scott Pioli, the Patriots' vice president of player personnel, was an on-field visitor before the game. Pioli has a close friendship with Shapiro dating to his days working as an assistant in the Browns' personnel department while Shapiro was working his way up with the Indians. Pioli also was a guest of Francona in spring training. He emerged from the Sox dugout with Francona's son Nick and headed to the Indians' side of the field during batting practice. 'He and Mark are really, really close,' Francona said. 'I offered him a parking spot to sway him; we'll see if that works. He's got a lot of people to say hello to. I haven't known him that long, but he's rapidly becoming pretty special to me. He swings by here once in a while just for a moment of sanity. I think it ends up being better for me than him. But I know how long he's known Mark, and I know that relationship. I won't hold it against him.'" full source

	Scott Pioli and Mark Shapiro on The Dale & Holley Show 12-Oct-2007, WEEI Michael Holley: "Now Scott, how long have you guys known each other?" Pioli: "I'd call it 15 years. When I first got to Cleveland it was 1992; a mutual friend introduced Mark and I. I'm a big baseball fan and Mark's a big football fan and we kind of hit it off. Mark played college football and we hit it off when we first met. It's interesting because I think we both have respect for the business that the other does and from that it became more of a…it started off professional and became much more personal, and over time it's…yeah, it's been about 15 years now." full transcript

	Tribe's Shapiro Takes Tips From Pats' Pioli 12-Oct-2007, Boston Herald "In preparation for his team's Division Series against the New York Yankees and subsequent showdown with the Red Sox in an ALCS that opens tonight at Fenway Park, Cleveland general manager Mark Shapiro once again drew upon the experiences of Pioli, a longtime friend who happens to be the Patriots' vice president of player personnel. … 'There just aren't that many people out there who have won multiple championships,' said Shapiro, who first met Pioli when he and Patriots coach Bill Belichick were working in Cleveland for the Browns in the early 1990s. 'Scott and I go back 15 years. We were talking about team-building and philosophies when the only decisions that we had to make was what kind of paper we should put in the Xerox machine.'" full story

	Indians Cut Payroll to 8th Lowest on Way to Baseball Playoffs 04-Oct-2007, Bloomberg.com "Mark Shapiro got the Cleveland Indians back into the playoffs by casting off the club's most popular players six years ago and loading up with prospects. The results of the rebuilding, which alienated fans so much that attendance plummeted by almost 50 percent, are paying off. Shapiro has forged a winner on a payroll that's the eighth lowest in Major League Baseball. … Shapiro's philosophy on how to build a team was groomed during late-night talks with [Scott] Pioli, when both began their careers in Cleveland – Shapiro with the Indians and Pioli as a personnel assistant with the Browns. A mutual friend introduced them. 'We were young guys that talked about wanting to be a part of something and building something special,' Pioli said. 'It wasn't about getting one championship.'" full story

	One Reason For Patriots' Success Easily Identified 30-Sept-2007, Boston Globe "'The person who gets the least credit for the tremendous job he does is Scott Pioli,' said [Marv] Levy. 'He doesn't get enough credit – or at least the credit he deserves – for all of their success.' The players appreciate the offseason work of Belichick and Pioli. 'I think they've done a good job,' said Vrabel. 'You have to draft well and hit a few home runs with free agency. They've done well with mid-level free agents and now adding the guys they added this year. They went a little bigger this year and it's worked out great.'" full story

	As A Battler, No Average Joe 30-Sept-2007, Hartford Courant "Even though Andruzzi bolted the Patriots as a free agent after the 2004 season, the bond with his former teammates has remained strong. … 'He's never hurting for company,' Linta said, adding that Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli has often checked in with Andruzzi and his wife Jennifer, who have four children. 'For a guy of Pioli's stature to call and asked about him all the time, I think really speaks volumes that a guy could be that high up in the league yet still be able to take a step back and care about somebody who's not even with [the Patriots].'" full story

	Pioli Is A+ In Building The Pats 23-Sept-2007, Providence Journal "[D]espite working under a salary cap that makes it difficult to keep good teams together, the Patriots…have won three [championships] in the last six [years], and are a popular pick to add another this season. Much of the credit for that goes to Pioli, 42, who maintains a low profile for a man who has been so highly successful. He is as modest and unassuming as he is intelligent and perceptive. His ability to evaluate both college players and NFL players who'd be a good fit for New England has been demonstrated year after year, going back to 2000, when Bill Belichick brought him along from the Jets organization." full story

	Unsung Heroes 10-Sept-2007, NFL.com "SCOTT PIOLI, NEW ENGLAND VICE PRESIDENT OF PERSONNEL: Scott is the person who executes the Patriot plan. He is Belichick's right-hand man and he had an incredible offseason gathering talent for the 2007 campaign. We all know about Moss, Stallworth, Welker, and Adalius Thomas. But Pioli also signed Kyle Brady, Sammy Morris and Kelley Washington, who add valuable depth to an already great roster." full story

	Scott Pioli on SIRIUS NFL Radio 29-Jul-2007, SIRIUS Satellite Radio The Patriots' Vice President of Player Personnel talks to Tim Ryan and Pat Kirwan during their Training Camp Tour 2007 stop in Foxboro. full transcript

	Reverence Toward Coaches Undeserved 16-Jul-2007, The Beacon "Part of the irony in professional sports is that the coach always makes five to ten times more than the general managers, who actually put the talent in uniform. Scott Pioli is the most valuable man in the NFL, and he should be the one given credit for building Bilichick [sic] his masterpiece, but for whatever reason, he is always overlooked. … For all the coaching press conferences, for all the Sportscenter segments breaking down why the [coach] will make his team a contender, all the preaching and books, it comes down to the players. It's what sports has always been and will always be about, and we must be careful never to forget that winning comes down to the players." full story

	Scott Pioli on NFL Total Access 01-May-2007, NFL Network Scott Pioli spoke with Fran Charles and Adam Schefter via Patriots Cam about this year's draft trades, Randy Moss, and the status of Asante Samuel. full video

	Scott Pioli on The Dale & Holley Show 01-May-2007, WEEI The New England Patriots' Vice President of Player Personnel recapped the Patriots' draft this morning with Dale Arnold and Michael Holley on Boston's Sports Radio WEEI. download the mp3

	Scott Pioli on SportsBeat 04-Apr-2007, The Score Scott Pioli previewed the upcoming NFL Draft with SportsBeat's Scott Cordischi and Bryan Morry on Providence's AM 790 The Score. download the mp3

	Scott Pioli on SIRIUS NFL Radio 27-Mar-2007, SIRIUS Satellite Radio "We think we have a pretty good nucleus of a fairly good football team right now. We're not in this for one shot, or one run. It's funny, someone asked me a couple weeks ago if we're making one last run, trying to win it… To me it's amazing, because we're not building just for the 2007 season, we're building for '08, '09, '10, '11, '12. This is long-term." full transcript

	Scott Pioli on The Dale & Holley Show 08-Mar-2007, WEEI "It comes down to quality of life and happiness. No disrespect to any other job opportunities that may have been out there or may come in the future, but you know what my dream job is? My dream job is being with people that I care about, people that I want to work with, people that I enjoy coming to work with every day, whether it's the coaches, whether it's ownership, whether it's the players. We've built something here that's pretty special, and quality of life has more to do with being happy, coming to work every day, and winning. And the other thing that's paramount is we're winning here. It's a great situation here with a lot of great people, and I enjoy being here." full transcript

	PVN At The Combine: Scott Pioli Interview 02-Mar-2007, Patriots.com "What we're trying to get done – this is an opportunity for some of us to meet some of the players for the first time. This is the first time that we've actually had – we'll get a chance to interact with a lot of the junior players, because until about a month ago we didn't know who any of those players were that were going to be entered into the draft. So this is the first opportunity to see them in a different environment physically, and spend some time with them and talk with them mentally, and see what their emotional makeup is. All the components really have value. We'll get the 40 times and the broad jump distances and the height of the vertical jump, we'll time all that, but for me personally, I actually sit on the other side of the Dome to watch the players run. And we're going to get the times – we'll all find out how fast they are – but there's almost an element in scouting to be able to see athleticism, or see speed and see how people run. Rather than focusing on just the time, just see the players run. And for our team in particular, with the way we want to build our football team, the mental and emotional makeup, as well as their personalities, making sure…you know, we're not always…we run things a little bit differently. We want to make sure that the guys can handle the situations that we're going to be bringing them to. We're not the easiest guys to get along with all the time. [Laughter]" full video

	Best General Managers In Sports 02-Mar-2007, Forbes "The general manager is the most influential and scrutinized position in sports because he decides how the owner's money is spent on players. Forbes.com's first-ever proprietary look at GMs in the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB grades each GM on two yardsticks. First, there's the performance (regular season winning percentage and postseason wins) during the GM's tenure versus the performance of his predecessor. Second, there's the GM's relative (to the league median) payroll compared with his predecessor's relative payroll." Scott Pioli ranks 20th out of 98 GMs. full story

	Pats Kraft Future Plan: Owner promises to spend to salary cap 03-Feb-2007, Boston Herald "'We're not one of those teams that puts the money in our pockets. We're committed to spending. In terms of spending, you have to look where we are at the end of the season, not the beginning,' Kraft said. 'With all due respect to my friends in the media and the fans, they don't understand the intricacies of the cap. You look where we were at the end of the year and where we'll be next year, and it will be the same thing. We're different than some teams. We're not just planning for this year. We're trying to be good for a number of years. Our management team has shown over the last four to five years that wise planning has allowed us to stay in the hunt.'" full story

	Pats Have No Pulse, But They'll Be Resuscitated 23-Jan-2007, CBS SportsLine "Here's the thing about the Patriots. Their most valuable employee isn't necessarily Belichick or Tom Brady. It could be their personnel director, Scott Pioli. You know that salary cap hit that all teams inevitably take? The Patriots took theirs this season. And still reached the AFC Championship Game. Next season, according to reports, the Patriots have roughly $30 million in cap space. They have two first-round picks in the 2007 draft. Giving Pioli $30 million and an extra No. 1 pick is like giving Shawne Merriman an extra syringe. Expect massive results." full story

	Warren Works Hard To Become One Of League's Best 19-Jan-2007, ESPN "It is part of the beauty of what the Pats do, part of the genius of coach Bill Belichick and vice president of personnel Scott Pioli, that they located not just one, but two defensive linemen like Seymour and Warren. Most scouts projected Warren, who is 6-foot-5 and 300 pounds, as a tackle in the 2003 draft. But he was the perfect fit for how New England likes to play, and the Patriots snatched him with the 13th overall selection. Over his past three seasons as a starter, Warren has 200 tackles, which would lead all interior linemen over that stretch. This season, his 84 tackles and 7½ sacks were the most in the NFL among 3-4 ends." full story

	Patriots' Backup Plan: Pioli and Belichick's incredible ability to create depth 12-Jan-2007, SI.com "Pioli's spoke excitedly about pursuing a fourth Super Bowl title in six seasons – an unprecedented achievement during the salary-cap era. And the club has him to thank, because it wouldn't be in this position without his salary-cap management and talent evaluation. 'He probably doesn't get the credit that he should be getting,' said Bills GM Marv Levy. 'For several years, I've been tremendously impressed with what he's brought to that organization. Everybody loses players in today's game because of free agency and the salary-cap. But Belichick and Pioli go out and get the guys who buy into the system.'" full story

	The Grass Is Greener In New England 10-Jan-2007, Scout.com "Another team came barking up Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli's tree, and for the second time in two years the highly successful second half of New England's front office decided the grass is as green as ever right where he is. This time it was the New York Giants, a team Pioli grew up following, that sought Pioli's talents as it works to replace retiring general manager Ernie Accorsi. New York requested and was granted permission by New England to speak to Pioli." full story

	Pioli Happy With Pat Hand 09-Jan-2007, NBC Sports "Let it never be said that Scott Pioli doesn't walk it like he talks it. The New England Patriots vice president of player personnel on Tuesday said, 'Thanks, but no thanks,' to the New York Giants. He opts – again – to remain where he's won two NFL Executive of the Year awards, three Super Bowls and, at 41, has the right to feel a sense of accomplishment." full story

	Statement From Patriots' V.P. of Player Personnel Scott Pioli 08-Jan-2007, New England Patriots "Speculation regarding the Giants interest in Patriots VP of Personnel Scott Pioli was answered today in a brief statement from Pioli issued through the Patriots PR department. 'I am very honored to be granted the opportunity to discuss a potential position with the New York Giants. I have tremendous respect for the Kraft family, the Mara family, the Tisch family and the Giants organization. After careful consideration, and for personal reasons, I am continuing in my current role with the New England Patriots.'" full source \| nesn video

	NFL's New Power Family: Parcells-Belichick protégés' impact growing rapidly 08-Jan-2007, SI.com "My message this morning is that the Bill Belichick tree – or maybe more accurately it's the Belichick branch of the Bill Parcells tree – is yielding some some great football people. And more are coming. … This offseason it should be New England vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli's turn, if some smart ownership group is willing to cede full control to Belichick's 41-year-old right-hand man. Pioli loves working for Belichick and has tremendous regard for the Kraft family, which has been very good to him. He could be there as long as Belichick is and he'd be happy, because he's not a wanderlust guy. If he were, he would have taken Seattle owner Paul Allen's $3-million-a-year offer to oversee the Seahawks two years ago." full story


	2006 stories
	Patriots Are Deep Thinkers: Roster strength is no accident 27-Dec-2006, Boston Globe "Preparing for the unpredictability of injuries is part of the game, and it all comes back to depth, which Belichick defined as 'when you need to send a player on the field and he can compete against another good football player.' The game in Jacksonville provided two clear-cut examples of the depth the Patriots have built. With nose tackle Vince Wilfork out with an ankle injury, second-year player Mike Wright stepped in, and the run defense…held its ground. And with tight end Benjamin Watson out with a knee injury, rookie David Thomas emerged with a career-high five catches, including a diving 22-yard touchdown. Other examples from earlier in the year: Second-year safety James Sanders starting five games in place of Rodney Harrison, rookie Ryan O'Callaghan opening the year at right tackle until Nick Kaczur returned, and Mike Vrabel moving from outside linebacker to inside linebacker, with Tully Banta-Cain stepping in on the outside. While the Patriots lost starter-level talent when those changes were made, the players stepping in were competitive enough to help the team win. In a nutshell, that's depth." full story

	Patriots Put Brainpower Into Their Cap 29-Oct-2006, Boston Globe "The Patriots were over the cap before the arrival of Belichick and Pioli, and correcting that has been a source of pride for ownership. Part of what makes the Patriots so successful in managing the cap is that they stay true to what they believe, even when the decisions involve high-profile players. 'They're absolutely one of the best teams in the league at managing the cap,' said player agent Michael Huyghue, a former executive with the Jacksonville Jaguars. 'The toughest part of managing the cap is to have discipline even when emotions and urgency come into the situation. They maintain discipline in their planning and have resolve in their plan.'" full story

	Not For Love Or Money 06-Sep-2006, Boston Herald "[Tom] Brady was asked recently how the players view the Pats organization in relation to the often tough stances it takes at contract time. '…The most important reason for me why I play here is to win,' Brady said. 'I realize I'm not going to be the highest-paid player, and that's fine. I'm not going to feel the most love from my coach … but you know you're going to win. So I feel like I can deal with everything else, because that's what I want. … We're trying to build something special, and it's not about who spends the most money. There are a lot of teams that spend a lot of money that don't perform well. We consistently perform well.'" full story

	Built To Last: Enduring success is Pioli's priority 18-Jun-2006, Boston Globe "For Pioli and the Patriots, new challenges are always arising in the team-building process. 'There's a natural attrition on every NFL roster,' Pioli said. 'Seven years later, depending on when a player is picked up, they're at different points in their careers – some guys toward the end, others entering their prime, others entering free agency. Those are the things you have to keep in mind; there is always going to be that cycle and motion of players at different points in their careers. 'That's where the personnel job differs from the coaching job. The coaches are focused on this week, right now, this moment. From a personnel standpoint, you have to think about that, but you also have to keep an eye on the future.'" full story

	Ask Vic 23-Mar-2006, Jacksonville Jaguars "The best coach-GM situations are those that involve two men who respect each other's opinion, share a fundamental personnel philosophy and are capable of coming to joint decisions. Bill Belichick clearly has that going for him in New England, where Belichick and Scott Pioli represent one of the best coach-GM relationships in recent football history. Belichick and Pioli are daring men who understand the value of the cap and the need to turn over your roster on a yearly basis. Look at who the Patriots have lost this offseason: Willie McGinest, David Givens and Adam Vinatieri. Do you realize what kind of message that sends? Nobody is safe. Age and money have their limits. I am in awe of what they do in New England. They're the best." full story

	Power Structures 03-Jan-2006, Sporting News "Money and market size aren't all a franchise need to get way ahead. It also needs a great front office setup – y'know, like the … New England Patriots. Bill Belichick handles New England's personnel from both the front office and the sideline, with backing from owner Robert Kraft (who has gotten more hands-off with age). Belichick was hired in January 2000 and brought in Scott Pioli as his personnel deputy two weeks later. Within two years, Belichick and Pioli had turned the Patriots into Super Bowl champs, relying on overlooked players such as Bryan Cox, Antowain Smith and, of course, sixth-round draft pick Tom Brady. The team has made bold personnel moves, emphasizing a team of replaceable parts by getting rid of popular players – Drew Bledsoe, Lawyer Milloy, Ty Law – before they became salary cap burdens. The results are undeniable: three Super Bowl championships in four years." full story

	Cradle Of Coaches: Bill Belichick took his hits in Cleveland, but he and his staff have had a lasting impact 01-Jan-2006, Daily News Transcript "Perception pulled the wool over one of the greatest compilations of coaching talent in NFL history. Maybe the Romeo Crennels and Charlie Weises build powerhouses of their own, and guys like Eric Mangini and Josh McDaniels become hot names, get corner offices and succeed as head coaches. Maybe. But as it is right now, they've got a long way to go to match the Cleveland staffs that Belichick employed in the early 1990s. 'It was special and I knew that at that time,' said Belichick. 'I told the owner (Modell) that several times too, when he had some questions about how the coaching was going.'" full story


	2005 stories
	Pioli Picks Right Stuff 08-Dec-2005, Boston Herald "When Bill Belichick took over the Patriots in 2000, he found a roster bloated with combine speed, weight room strength and media guide size. After just one look, it was obvious to Belichick what he was missing: Football players. Of all the changes that have taken place in Foxboro in the five years under Belichick, the switch in drafting philosophies between former personnel director Bobby Grier and current personnel head Scott Pioli is perhaps the most profound." full story

	Scott Pioli Radio Interview on WEEI 21-Nov-2005, Reiss's Pieces "'How did you get into football, was your dad a coach?' 'No, I've loved football since I was a kid. It's just something I absolutely loved. I grew up around the West Point area so I saw a couple games at Michie Stadium, a great place to see a game. I saw one [pro] game as a kid when I was 8 years old, it was September 23rd, 1973, the last game ever played by any team in the old Yankee Stadium before they re-did it. It was the Giants and the Eagles. They tied 23-23 and Pete Gogolak kicked a field goal on the last play of the game. And I've been hooked for life. I just love the game." full entry

	The Seeds Of Success Planted In Cleveland 20-Nov-2005, Miami Herald "In the early 1990s, the Cleveland Browns were a confluence of young, smart coaches and personnel men who worked with such single-minded purpose that even longtime NFL personnel men found it striking. 'It was like they were on a crusade, a mission,' said New York Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi, who hired Belichick with the Browns and then left after one season. Accorsi watched Belichick hire the likes of Savage, Landry, Saban, Jim Bates, Scott Pioli, Al Groh and Scott O'Brien." full story

	Pioli Inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame of Massachusetts 18-Nov-2005, NIASHF "The NIASHF Massachusetts' Board of Directors would like to congratulate our scholarship recipients along with this years inductees: Holy Cross Legend Jim Marcellino, Patriots VP of Player Personnel Scott Pioli, Red Sox Manager Terry Francona and Everett High Football Coach John DiBiasio. … One of the youngest, prominent and most deserving of local Italian-Americans ever to be inducted into the Massachusetts Chapter of the National Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame is Scott Pioli…" full story \| globe story

	Emotions of Browns' Move Still Raw 10 Years Later 11-Nov-2005, SI.com "'In this business, we all get fired, we all change jobs, and there's a lot of uncertainty,' said Scott Pioli, the Patriots vice president/player personnel, who was a 30-year old Browns personnel assistant in '95. 'But hearing that the entire franchise was moving, trying to wrap your hands around the concept was difficult.'…Check out the landscape of the NFL today and it speaks volumes to see how many members of the '95 Browns – a doomed team if there ever was one – continue to dot the league map. The coaches and front office staff of that Browns team comprise virtually a Who's Who of the NFL a decade later." full story

	NFL Total Access: Path to the Draft with Mike Mayock 03-Nov-2005, NFL Network "In this week's edition of Path to the Draft, we're going to talk about the franchise that, in my opinion, is the benchmark franchise in the NFL. That is the New England Patriots. Why? Because of their sustained excellence over a period of time in an era where the salary cap seems to have thrown a lot of other franchises out of whack. What I've specifically looked to are the personnel decisions at the top-end of the draft. When you look at the New England Patriots' first and second round picks in the Scott Pioli/Bill Belichick era, they just don't miss." full transcript

	David Halberstam Radio Interview 02-Nov-2005, WEEI "Scott Pioli keeps on his desk a photograph of the guy they took in the 5th round, a tight end from Boise State who never played a down. As if to say, if you're so smart why didn't you take Brady in the 5th round? Scott is a wonderful, wonderful man. I mean, he's such a good extension of Belichick, and Belichick of him. He's the first great graduate of what I call Belichick University." full transcript

	Unlikely Dynasty 19-Sep-2005, Forbes "Bob Kraft liked Belichick as a tactician who could play the salary cap. 'Good managers in every business understand value,' he says. Analytically minded Belichick fit right in. At Kraft's behest the team had compiled a database of stats for every position in the NFL going back 25 years. Belichick, with Scott Pioli, who runs player personnel, put together procedural manuals for the off-season, the draft, training camp and every other phase of the season. They are team players who essentially have free rein. 'Robert asks us questions; he doesn't question us,' Pioli says." full story

	Pioli Key Component Of Pats' Success 27-Aug-2005, ESPN Insider "Because of the salary cap, you can't keep all of your players. When you have success, you probably won't be able to hold on to all of your coaches, as the Patriots learned after last year. But if you can keep your management together, you have a chance to keep a good thing going. Had he jumped to Seattle, Scott Pioli, New England's vice president of player personnel and Bill Belichick's right-hand man, would have ensured that generations of Piolis would have lived the really good life (the Seahawks reportedly offered him in the area of $15 million to run the club). But remaining with the Patriots offered Pioli the best opportunity to continue winning Super Bowls and, perhaps, to add to his two consecutive NFL Executive of the Year awards. Over the summer, owner Robert Kraft rewarded Pioli for his loyalty by extending his contract, which was due to expire after the 2006 draft." subscribers only

	Sporting a Different Look, Pats Still Have Super Shot 17-Aug-2005, Pro Football Weekly "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm completely aware that Charlie Weis is now in South Bend, Romeo Crennel is in Cleveland, Ty Law has joined the Jets, and Tedy Bruschi and Ted Johnson will be leading cheers from somewhere other than their customary LB spots this year. But you know what, guys? Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli appear to have the answers for all that and more." full story

	VP Who Built Up Patriots' Super Bowl Teams Signs Contract Extension 15-Jul-2005, Associated Press "Scott Pioli, who helped build the New England Patriots teams that have won three of the last four Super Bowls, has agreed to a contract extension as the team's vice president of player personnel. Terms of the extension that will keep Pioli with the Patriots were not disclosed. … Pioli, 40, joined the Patriots in 2000 along with coach Bill Belichick. The team won a Super Bowl title in Pioli's and Belichick's second season in New England. Since that victory, the team has repeated as Super Bowl champs two more times, including this year's 24-21 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. This year's win marked the first time in NFL history that a head coach and a personnel director had celebrated three Super Bowl titles in four years together." full story

	Patriots Ink Extension With Pioli 15-Jul-2005, New England Patriots "The New England Patriots have signed Vice President of Player Personnel Scott Pioli to a contract extension. Terms of the extension were not disclosed. … 'There is mutual respect between Robert, Jonathan, the Kraft family and myself,' said Pioli. 'We have shared a great deal of success and I am happy to have an extended agreement with them.'" full story

	Blue Devils Past Takes Center Stage 14-May-2005, New Britain Herald "Pioli talked glowingly and occasionally emotionally of his years at Central, thanking his coaches for taking a mischievous youth and molding him into what he is today. He then thanked his teammates, many of whom came out to honor their friend and colleague and gathered at one of the front tables. 'Guys who helped me see through what I had to see through, taught me how to be accountable in life and how to work hard,' he said of his teammates, '…I appreciate you guys for putting up with me, for helping me, for pushing me. I want to thank everyone at Central Connecticut for helping me have this experience … this really is a family.'" full story

	Patriots Gaming 23-Apr-2005, Boston Globe "Luck is not the answer. Belichick and Pioli did not sculpt their three Super Bowl squads by following the herd. They do not subscribe to the two scouting services most other teams use. They do all their own scouting, they try to envision how a player may adapt to their system over the long haul, and they apply criteria peculiar to their Patriot philosophy." full story

	Piecing the Patriots Together 21-Apr-2005, USA Today "Scott Pioli drove a rusted brown Cutlass back in 1992, when one of the tasks on his first NFL job with the Cleveland Browns was to drive his boss to the airport. The boss was coach Bill Belichick, who had quite the touch with $100 bills. 'He would stuff $100 in the ashtray and wouldn't let me refuse it,' Pioli recalls. 'He'd say, 'Shut up. Get yourself some gas, and maybe go out for dinner this weekend.'' … Pioli is still helping his boss get places, and Belichick … has received quite the return from the C-notes. The eager 'kid' he hired as a gofer has grown up to become one of the league's hottest executives." full story

	2005 NFL Players Gridiron Gala 07-Apr-2005, NFL Players Association "A dozen of the NFL's brightest off-the-field stars gathered in Washington, DC on Thursday night to be honored by the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), PLAYERS INC and FOX NFL Sunday co-host James Brown for their tireless efforts to improve their communities." Scott Pioli, Patriots Vice President – Player Personnel, was presented the JB Award for Executive Leadership. full story

	A Friend In Deed: George Young NFL Executive Of The Year Scott Pioli 05-Apr-2005, Sporting News "This is the most private of football operations, these Patriots. But here's one key to how they've become the model for all NFL teams: the friendship between coach Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli, the club's vice president of player personnel."

	New England Patriots Executive Scott Pioli Headlines Central Connecticut Alumni Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2005 24-Mar-2005, CCSU "Pioli was a starter at defensive tackle for three and a half years for the Blue Devils. The 1988 graduate was a three-time All-New England selection in his career and was the Blue Devils' defensive MVP in 1985. He served as a co-captain during his senior campaign in 1987 and finished his career with 222 tackles and 22 sacks. The Washingtonville, NY native was the first-ever winner of Central's Frank Marietta Award for leadership. He was presented with the honor at the conclusion of his senior season. Also a CCSU Young Alumni Award winner, Pioli has been in football ever since." full story

	Pioli Receives NFL Executive of the Year Award 22-Mar-2005, NFL.com "Scott Pioli might never find comfort in being at the center of attention, but he certainly is getting plenty of practice at it. For the second successive year, the New England Patriots' vice president of player personnel was honored by his peers as the Sporting News' George Young NFL Executive of the Year. Once again, Pioli seemed almost apologetic as he accepted the award during the annual AFC coaches' breakfast at the league meetings here. 'It's flattering in a sense, but it's not what's behind what I do,' Pioli said of the honor. 'The reason I'm in this is because of football, because of trying to win championships. And this is just a byproduct of the team success and what the players do and what the coaches do. This is a collaborative effort. I just happen to be the person that's (recognized).'" full story

	Success Gives Pioli Staying Power 05-Feb-2005, Boston Globe "Scott Pioli has a chance for a third Super Bowl ring before he turns 40 in March. His success is entwined with that of coach Bill Belichick, and nationally he is perceived as the brains behind the Genius in the Patriots front office. How long before some moneybags tries to pry Pioli from the Patriots? Syphoning success is an ancient rite in professional sports and now that the Patriots' coordinators are on their way out the door…don't be surprised if another NFL team comes after Pioli. He was NFL Executive of the Year after the Super Bowl win last season." full story

	How Do The Patriots Do It? 03-Feb-2005, Cleveland Browns "'I keep a Topps card in my office that reminds me how smart we are,' Pioli said. It's one of those cards that have two players on it. On the top is the team's fifth-round pick from 2000, Dave Stachelski, who didn't make it through training camp. On the bottom is Brady. 'If we thought he was going to be that good I don't think we'd have waited until the 199th pick,' Pioli said. Fair enough. But the Patriots have done the best job in the league of bringing in players that fit their system, and for teams looking to climb up out of a 5-11 hole it's worth considering how New England does what it does so well." full story

	Patriots Winning On The Cheap: Chemistry Comes Before Money 30-Jan-2005, Washington Post "Its decision-making triumvirate of owner Robert Kraft, Coach Bill Belichick and front-office chief Scott Pioli has built what qualifies as a dynasty in this era of free agency and the salary cap by proving again and again that it's not how much you spend on players, it's how well you spend. The Patriots are playing in their third Super Bowl in four years because they drafted well, signed the right free agents and got more out of their players than anyone else thought possible." full story

	Patriots Get Bang for Their Buck 28-Jan-2005, Washington Post "The Philadelphia Eagles spent lavishly to get to Jacksonville, Fla. The New England Patriots got there on a budget. The 2004 season proved, once again, that there's more than one way to win in the NFL. It's not necessarily how much you spend on players. It's how well you spend. … The Patriots ranked 24th among the 32 NFL clubs with a payroll of just less than $77 million. The Patriots, who are playing in their third Super Bowl in four seasons, have been known for their wise spending under the direction of Coach Bill Belichick and front-office chief Scott Pioli." full story

	Praising Pioli: Patriots VP of Personnel earns high marks around the NFL 25-Jan-2005, Boston Herald "The Pats are on the verge of NFL history for many reasons, not the least of which has been the work of personnel director Pioli and his staff. The Pats have proven beyond a doubt that championships are won with depth, and Pioli continues to provide the bottom of Belichick's roster with the best role players in the league. When it comes to a 'ready list,' no one competes with the 2003 NFL executive of the year. 'It's amazing. You go to the Super Bowl one year with Ty Law and Tyrone Poole, and then you turn around and go back with guys like Randall Gay and Hank Poteat? How is that possible?' said Tennessee Titans general manager Floyd Reese yesterday. 'I don't know how anyone can match that. I don't know if that's possible.'" full story

	High School Coaches Point To Patriots As Role Models 21-Jan-2005, Akron Beacon Journal "Every franchise has great athletes, but Belichick and Patriots executive Scott Pioli are looking for something more than eye-popping 40-yard dash times and vertical leaps. Manchester principal and football coach Jim France appreciates the emphasis on education and character. 'They remind me of Ohio State and my man Woody (Hayes) who said, 'You win with people,'' France said." full story

	Model Team Has Been Worth The Wait 21-Jan-2005, Boston Globe "We can't pretend to know all of the admirable or detestable qualities of these mastodons of Gillette or any other professional sports team. Richard Seymour, Troy Brown, Tom Brady, and Tedy Bruschi all seem like great guys, but we don't really know them. Fine. That's not our job and it's not their job. But what we do know is that these Patriots at this hour do everything a team is supposed to do, which includes winning but involves so much more than scoring more points than the other team every week. Take a bow, Bob Kraft, Scott Pioli, Bill Belichick, and all of you players and coaches. The 2004-05 Patriots, as currently constituted, demonstrate the concept of team better than any unit playing professional sports today." full story

	Drum Roll, Please: Best in conference get props 06-Jan-2005, USA Today "The George Young Award: For executive of the year, it's New England Patriots VP Scott Pioli, the right-hand man of you-know-who. The Patriots keep winning regardless of which no-names Pioli finds under boulders. New hires contributing to the injury-wracked defense include Randall Gay, Dexter Reid and a shining star, Earthwind (and Fire) Moreland." full story

	2004 Was Year Of The Quarterback 05-Jan-2005, San Francisco Chronicle "Executive of the year: Scott Pioli, New England. Might have to retire this award because Pioli does such a masterful job of filling the Patriots' roster with the low ego, versatile and team-oriented players who have made New England a two-time Super Bowl winner." full story

	Patriots Provide Model The 49ers Want To Emulate 02-Jan-2005, Contra Costa Times "'I'm not comfortable hearing we're a 'model' franchise. We have an understanding what's right for us,' Pioli said. 'Sometimes people get caught up when they talk of our franchise. We don't have all the answers. Just because some players work well for us doesn't mean they'd work well in other systems.'" full story

	The Brain January 2005, GQ "Pioli works in a long, windowless office, the walls of which are completely covered in tiny blocks of type – the names of every player on every roster in the league, organized by position, alphabetized, and color-coded. In 2003, Pioli was the youngest person ever to win NFL Executive of the Year. Of the sixty-four players on the Patriots team that won the Super Bowl that year, fifty-six of them had been acquired since Belichick and Pioli took over, in 2000. 'I've been with him long enough to know there are certain things he has patience for and certain things he doesn't have patience for,' says Pioli. 'Why would we bring him players that are going to contradict everything he believes in? Why would we make his job tougher?'" full story


	2004 stories
	State Of Bliss: Pioli, Epstein Young Guns With Great Aim 29-Dec-2004, Boston Herald "Belichick makes all final decisions on Patriots' personnel. Pioli's two-fold task is to create Belichick's options, then financially implement the coach's choices. Those are chores Belichick would do himself, but the coach knows that'd require two of him. Pioli is the alter ego of one of the best football minds in history. That's a pretty daunting job description. In the lull between the 2003 regular season and the playoffs, Belichick tried to describe his relationship with Pioli. The word the coach came back to was 'close.' 'We're close professionally and personally,' Belichick said to sum up." full preview

	Pioli Not Planning To Abandon Pats' Ship 28-Nov-2004, Providence Journal "Scott Pioli said yesterday he intends to stay with the Patriots at least through the 2006 NFL Draft, which is when his current contract expires. 'Out of respect to everyone directly or indirectly involved I want to make it abundantly clear that – if it's up to me – I will be staying with the New England Patriots through the duration of my agreement,' said the team's vice president of player personnel." full story

	Patriot Reign: Bill Belichick, the Coaches, and the Players Who Built a Champion by Michael Holley 22-Sep-2004, Harper Collins "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." full details

	Patriots' Pioli: TSN's NFL Executive of the Year 05-Apr-2004, Sporting News "'This is a humbling honor,' Pioli says of being named winner of the George Young NFL Executive of the Year award, presented by the SPORTING NEWS. 'The award truly represents the ownership, coaching staff, scouting staff and players. To me, it's a statement about the organization.'" full story

	Pioli Is Youngest To Be Named NFL Executive of Year 31-Mar-2004, Providence Journal "'This award is a direct reflection of the trust and support given by Robert and Jonathan Kraft,' Pioli said yesterday to reporters in Palm Beach. 'I am very grateful for that. They have been tremendously supportive. The award is also a by-product of great teamwork within our organization, starting with Bill Belichick and including our assistant coaches, our players and our entire scouting staff. To be mentioned in the same group of past winners such as Bill Polian, George Young, Ron Wolf, Al Davis and Paul Brown is very humbling.'" full story

	CCSU Alum Scott Pioli Named NFL Executive of the Year 30-Mar-2004, CCSU "The Sporting News presented Patriots Vice President of Player Personnel Scott Pioli with the NFL Executive of the Year award today at the owner's meetings in Palm Beach, Fla. Annually, NFL executives are polled by The Sporting News to select the winner. This year, Pioli received 29 of the 60 votes to become the 34th recipient of the award." full story

	PVN: Scott Pioli Interview 19-Mar-2004, Patriots Video News "Patriots Vice President of Player Personnel Scott Pioli spent a few minutes with PVN this week for an update on the Patriots' offseason endeavors. Pioli discusses the Pats' free agent additions, such as Rodney Bailey, and the free agent losses, such as Antowain Smith and Ted Washington, and gives some insight on the team's strategy for the 2004 NFL Draft." full video

	Pioli Helps Put It Together 26-Jan-2004, Boston Herald "In a league where coaches and GMs are often at odds, the Pats boast two independent men who are tight like brothers. 'Ego doesn't get involved with those two,' said [Patriots owner Robert] Kraft last night. It's unquestionably one of the most unique relationships between a head coach and a front office executive in all of sports, one that has produced a team that is remarkably consistent in temperament, attitude and work ethic from the first player on the roster to the 53rd." full preview

	Pioli And Belichick A Nice Team 26-Jan-2004, Boston Globe "Pioli and Belichick have built a team that will appear in its second Super Bowl in three years, retooling on the fly. Although Belichick often is heralded as the resident genius, he's the first to acknowledge Pioli's contributions. It's Pioli who lays the groundwork for each free agent courtship, each draft pick. He's the one who coerces and coddles the agents. He's the one who works out the cap figures. He's the one who challenges Belichick. The final word belongs to the coach, but it's rare he utters it without Pioli's input." full story


	2003
	Legendary NFL Draftnik Steeped In Mystery 20-Apr-2003, Dallas Morning News "Many of Buchsbaum's contacts turned into friends, including Scott Pioli, the New England Patriots' vice president of player personnel. They talked about things other than football. Buchsbaum often chatted with Pioli's wife, Dallas, whose father is Bill Parcells, coach of the Dallas Cowboys. They never saw him in person, but the Piolis loved their phone friend. It was mutual." full story


	2002 stories
	Online News Hour: Goal Line Economics 23-Sep-2002, PBS.org Paul Solman of WGBH Boston looks at the economics of professional football with Robert Kraft, Scott Pioli, and Bill Belichick. "SCOTT PIOLI: What we wanted to do was put a limit on the spending, put a limit on the borrowing. PAUL SOLMAN: So top aide Scott Pioli and his boss, coach Belichick, decided not to keep signing the most highly touted players. SCOTT PIOLI: Because there's not always a direct correlation between marquee names, marquee salaries, and good football players." full transcript

	Belichick And Pioli Have Winning Formula 27-Jul-2002, ESPN "The New England football brain trust, two talented men reared in football backgrounds – Belichick is the son of a longtime Naval Academy assistant and Pioli is the son-in-law of Bill Parcells – and both more important to the big picture than even quarterback Tom Brady. 'The big thing is, neither of us has separate agendas, because we're only interested in winning (Super Bowl) rings,' Pioli said after Friday's opening camp practice. 'And we know what we want in a player. Some players we bring in might not be a very good fit for another team but they are for us. We might not be a good fit, as a team, for some players. This is a demanding program. Bill is a demanding coach. We're not for everyone. You come to us, you'd better be ready to compete.'" full story

	MLB's Indians Learn An NFL Lesson 18-Mar-2002, CNNSI.com "[Cleveland Indians General Manager Mark] Shapiro also invited old friend Scott Pioli, the Pats' director of player personnel, to camp last week to talk to his players. … 'The Patriots took criticism for not signing a bunch of big names before last season, which is what has happened to us this winter,' Shapiro said. 'They built a team on a set of values – hard work, team players. We're building a team based on team-guys motivated by pride. When the Patriots won the Super Bowl, they not only won – they made a statement. That's what we're trying to do.'" full story

	Pat Answer 11-Feb-2002, Sports Illustrated "After New England went 5-11 in 2000, Belichick and player personnel director Scott Pioli – who is married to Parcells's daughter Dallas – made a series of seemingly uninspired off-season moves that set in motion a remarkable transformation. If Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder approaches free agency as a Neiman Marcus shopping spree, the Patriots were scrounging through bargain bins at Filene's Basement. 'Never mind that talk,' Pioli said on Sunday night. 'These guys are good players and good people. Football is the ultimate team sport, and these guys fit our system.' After Sunday's game three of the free agents the team had signed before this season (there were 17 in all) hugged Pioli and tearfully thanked him for bringing them to New England." full story

	Price Check: Patriots' Secret Is Not Overpaying, Finding A Good Fit 07-Feb-2002, CNNSI.com "Since Belichick and Pioli began running the personnel side of the Patriots before the 2000 season, they've piloted the team to the fourth-lowest total dollars spent in the league during that two-year period, in bonus and salaries combined. New England will be the only team in the nine-year history of free agency to win a Super Bowl and be under the cap entering the next season." full story

	Rams Lead The Way In Executive Of The Year Candidates 14-Jan-2002, Pro Football Weekly "2. New England Patriots / Scott Pioli, Bill Belichick – Nobody got more from less. The Patriots brought in over a dozen low-cost free agents who have played extensively and had a great deal to do with the team's success. They changed the entire chemistry of the team, with the Patriots going from a team filled with rich, overpaid and not very mentally tough players who found ways to lose to a team of hungry achievers with a passion for the game who could handle pressure. They also drafted Richard Seymour and Matt Light one year after taking Tom Brady." full story


	2001
	Pioli: Scout's Honor 19-Dec-2001, Boston Herald "In an interview this week, Pioli provided some detail into the Patriots' scouting process. In doing so, Pioli acknowledged that the organization has made progress this season. But that's as far as he went. 'Here's the important thing,' said Pioli. 'We're headed in a positive direction, and we haven't won a damn thing yet. That's the bottom line. We don't want to sit here for the next five years and finish second in the division. We don't to sit here for the next five years and just make the playoffs. That's not what the goal is. The goal isn't just to keep your job. The goal is to win championships.'" full preview


	2000
	Belichick Welcomes Old Friend Pioli To Front Office 11-Feb-2000, Patriots.com "'I have come to respect Scott Pioli as a fine evaluator of talent with a keen eye for stocking a team relative to its specific needs and system,' stated Belichick in a written statement. 'I have seen the positive results of Scott's very progressive player personnel system and am particularly impressed with his record of consistently integrating capable second and third tier players, as well as front line starters. Scott Pioli is a fine addition to the New England Patriots and I look forward to his contributions for years to come.'" full story

	2008–2009 stories

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