"The Education of a Coach"; A Profile of NFL Coach Bill Belichick
Washingtonpost.com,
Find More Results for: ""The Education of a Coach" "
Byline: David Halberstam
In over three decades in the NFL, Bill Belichick has built a reputation for himself as a focused, prepared and highly successful coach. Leading the New England Patriots since 2000, Belichick has largely avoided the public eye while coaching the Patriots to three Super Bowl titles. Through interviews with Belichick himself, bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Halberstam examines Belichick's formative years and the impact of his father (Navy coach Steve Belichick ) had on his discipline, strategy and approach toward football. Halberstam was online Tuesday, Dec. 6, at 2 p.m. ET to discuss his new book, "The Education of Coach," and the life and career of Bill Belichick.
Brown's Town (Cleveland), Ohio: This question is about Bill's father Steve. I caught you the other night on PBS talking about him and being from the Youngstown, Ohio area, Croatian and graduated from Case Western Reserve I was a little surprised when you mentioned he was, well from eastern Ohio, Croatian and graduated from Western Reserve (a predecessor to CWRU). I was curious to know a little more of his back ground.
By the way you have long been my favorite author and despite the fact Bill Belichick is not the most popular guy in these parts, I still intend to get the book.
David Halberstam: I think Steve Belichick is part of an extraordinary American story, son of an immigrant from Croatia who was unemployed during much of the depression, a family with five children, was on very hard times. Steve did not think he would be able to go to college, even though he was very bright, because there was no money, so he did not take the college track courses. But he was an exceptional high school running back with great hands, good speed, and uncommon vision, and that got him a surprise scholarship to Western Reserve from Bill Edwards, who was a pal of the legendary Paul Brown. Steve maximized his one chance to get out of the steel mills, did well at Western Reserve, decided to become a coach, and was a protege of Edwards and spent 33 years as an assistant coach at the Naval Academy, where he was widely regarded not merely as a coach's coach, but as the best scout in the college game. He started teaching his son Bill how to scout and how to study film from the time he was nine years old, and as such Bill Belichick eventually ended up as Steve Belichick's star pupil. It's a great father-son story, and the culmination of it came at the last Super Bowl, when they both were doused by Gatorade in the ritual bath of the victorious.
_______________________
Baltimore, Md.: Mr. Halberstam: I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed the recent excerpt in the Post about Bill Belichick's dad. His was truly one of those "All-American" stories that would inspire anyone who read it, whether or not they knew a first down from a touchdown.
David Halberstam: Thank you. I think the book about Bill Belichick is really an uncommon American story. It begins with Ivan Bilicic coming here, soon joined by his wife Mary, and working in the toughest parts of America in order to have a shot at the American Dream. His son Steve, by dint of hard work, and athletic talent, gets a college education. He becomes a coach, not famous nor particularly well-paid but very proud and highly accomplished. Then his son Bill, starting at an even higher level, with a better education and more opportunity, goes on to become the signature figure coaching in the NFL. What's interesting to me is that the value system of the older Belichick's, including Steve, growing up in a much harder era-nothing is to be wasted and hard work has a value as an end in itself-are very much a part of Bill Belichick's ethic these days even though he's at the top of his game, makes $4 million dollars a year, and conceivably could begin to coast. Instead he's about the hardest working person I've ever met.
_______________________
Beltsville, Md.: Hi David. I fell in love with your writing when a read The Fifties in college about 10 years ago. I like to watch the NFL Networks coverage of coaches and players' press conferences. Belichick seems much better at dealing and relating to the media than many of his peers. He gives good answers and doesn't seem overly dismissive of sports writers and always seems to be in control of the press conference. Any thoughts as to where this comes from?
David Halberstam: I am surprised to hear that because I always hear complaints from reporters saying he doesn't give good answers and holds back. I found my relationship with him was a bit unusual because of the nature of the book and his desire to have a book that would be a good deal about his father, is of someone who is very forthcoming and the better of a question I asked, the better the answer. In addition, the more the question was about football, and not about stuff that might go to People magazine, the better he was, the better the answers. It was interesting to me when I interviewed him to find what a born teacher he is, that again and again he would get up in the middle of the interview and try and draw a play or a coverage to explain it to me and I think that that is critical to his success, that he loves to teach and in a way it's not surprising because both of his parents were teachers.
Find More Results for: ""The Education of a Coach" "
Byline: David Halberstam
In over three decades in the NFL, Bill Belichick has built a reputation for himself as a focused, prepared and highly successful coach. Leading the New England Patriots since 2000, Belichick has largely avoided the public eye while coaching the Patriots to three Super Bowl titles. Through interviews with Belichick himself, bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Halberstam examines Belichick's formative years and the impact of his father (Navy coach Steve Belichick ) had on his discipline, strategy and approach toward football. Halberstam was online Tuesday, Dec. 6, at 2 p.m. ET to discuss his new book, "The Education of Coach," and the life and career of Bill Belichick.
Brown's Town (Cleveland), Ohio: This question is about Bill's father Steve. I caught you the other night on PBS talking about him and being from the Youngstown, Ohio area, Croatian and graduated from Case Western Reserve I was a little surprised when you mentioned he was, well from eastern Ohio, Croatian and graduated from Western Reserve (a predecessor to CWRU). I was curious to know a little more of his back ground.
By the way you have long been my favorite author and despite the fact Bill Belichick is not the most popular guy in these parts, I still intend to get the book.
David Halberstam: I think Steve Belichick is part of an extraordinary American story, son of an immigrant from Croatia who was unemployed during much of the depression, a family with five children, was on very hard times. Steve did not think he would be able to go to college, even though he was very bright, because there was no money, so he did not take the college track courses. But he was an exceptional high school running back with great hands, good speed, and uncommon vision, and that got him a surprise scholarship to Western Reserve from Bill Edwards, who was a pal of the legendary Paul Brown. Steve maximized his one chance to get out of the steel mills, did well at Western Reserve, decided to become a coach, and was a protege of Edwards and spent 33 years as an assistant coach at the Naval Academy, where he was widely regarded not merely as a coach's coach, but as the best scout in the college game. He started teaching his son Bill how to scout and how to study film from the time he was nine years old, and as such Bill Belichick eventually ended up as Steve Belichick's star pupil. It's a great father-son story, and the culmination of it came at the last Super Bowl, when they both were doused by Gatorade in the ritual bath of the victorious.
_______________________
Baltimore, Md.: Mr. Halberstam: I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed the recent excerpt in the Post about Bill Belichick's dad. His was truly one of those "All-American" stories that would inspire anyone who read it, whether or not they knew a first down from a touchdown.
David Halberstam: Thank you. I think the book about Bill Belichick is really an uncommon American story. It begins with Ivan Bilicic coming here, soon joined by his wife Mary, and working in the toughest parts of America in order to have a shot at the American Dream. His son Steve, by dint of hard work, and athletic talent, gets a college education. He becomes a coach, not famous nor particularly well-paid but very proud and highly accomplished. Then his son Bill, starting at an even higher level, with a better education and more opportunity, goes on to become the signature figure coaching in the NFL. What's interesting to me is that the value system of the older Belichick's, including Steve, growing up in a much harder era-nothing is to be wasted and hard work has a value as an end in itself-are very much a part of Bill Belichick's ethic these days even though he's at the top of his game, makes $4 million dollars a year, and conceivably could begin to coast. Instead he's about the hardest working person I've ever met.
_______________________
Beltsville, Md.: Hi David. I fell in love with your writing when a read The Fifties in college about 10 years ago. I like to watch the NFL Networks coverage of coaches and players' press conferences. Belichick seems much better at dealing and relating to the media than many of his peers. He gives good answers and doesn't seem overly dismissive of sports writers and always seems to be in control of the press conference. Any thoughts as to where this comes from?
David Halberstam: I am surprised to hear that because I always hear complaints from reporters saying he doesn't give good answers and holds back. I found my relationship with him was a bit unusual because of the nature of the book and his desire to have a book that would be a good deal about his father, is of someone who is very forthcoming and the better of a question I asked, the better the answer. In addition, the more the question was about football, and not about stuff that might go to People magazine, the better he was, the better the answers. It was interesting to me when I interviewed him to find what a born teacher he is, that again and again he would get up in the middle of the interview and try and draw a play or a coverage to explain it to me and I think that that is critical to his success, that he loves to teach and in a way it's not surprising because both of his parents were teachers.
posted by The Gryphon at 9:34 AM
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