Tom Brady and Bill Belichick will probably go down as the best head coach/quarterback duo in NFL history.
The pair won a historically high six Super Bowls together, smashing records along the way. But the pair’s relationship hasn’t always been sunshine and roses.
Brady’s dad, Tom Brady Sr., recently stuck up for Belichick in an interview with the Boston Globe. But he also said something fascinating that helps paint a picture of what life under Belichick was like.
“Bill is tough,” Brady Sr. told the Globe. “He runs a military system. It’s a different generation. Bill is a great, great, great coach. But his interpersonal skills are horrible. That’s the bottom line.”
The Globe framed the criticism in terms of Brady’s New England replacement: First-round draft pick and former Alabama QB Mac Jones. “Brady tolerated 20 seasons of Belichick’s tough love. It broke down Mac Jones in three seasons,” the Globe claimed.
I am a massive Bill Belichick fan. You can’t argue with the results. 24 seasons in New England and only four that his team finished under .500? Six Super Bowl rings? A near 69 percent winning percentage? The proof is in the pudding and this pudding is goooood.
So who cares if he’s abrasive? So what if his interpersonal skills are trash? He wins. Yes, part of playing football is having fun. But when you’re getting paid millions upon millions of dollars to win football games, it’s also about a lot more than that. (Falcons Hire Raheem Morris As Head Coach, Snub Belichick In Shocking Move)
It’s not Bill’s fault that Mac Jones sucked. If he couldn’t handle the pressure of the Patriot Way, that’s on him. If your goal is to win Super Bowls, how nice your coach is shouldn’t be on the top 100 list of priorities.
I’d love to see Belichick get another job in the league someday, although with the news of the Washington Commanders filling the final open head coaching position, it won’t be this year. But this candy-ass generation could use a little more tough love, Belichick style.