Like father, like son. As cliché as that sounds, it has transpired true for the Belichick clan. Bill Belichick, the proverbial GOAT, has garnered acumen and success that’s no fluke if you’re aware of his lineage. His father, the late Steve Belichick, was a powerhouse in his own right. It’s almost as if there was an osmosis-like permeation and transfer of footballing enterprise between the pair. But in an alternative reality where he adheres to his father’s advice, Bill Belichick would’ve never become a coach. Never won 8 Super Bowl rings, never cultivated Tom Brady, and never built a dynasty with New England. Never even foray into the collegiate game with UNC, Steve’s old stomping grounds.
Being a head coach is akin to drinking from a poisoned chalice. It’s a perpetual tryst with chasing acknowledgment that almost never arrives. No matter how much you succeed, whatever the litmus test for success is, it’s a hapless job. Moreover, it’s extremely volatile. Coaches get fired with regularity and cannot be secure financially. Conceded, Bill Belichick has transcended past these issues. But even as one of the best scouts in the country, Steve Belichick couldn’t have predicted just how great his son would be at coaching. Which is why Bill, by his own admission, has said he was urged to follow a path outside football. Talk about a sliding doors moment.
Bill Belichick guested on the College GameDay podcast alongside Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, his fellow ACC contemporary. Host and revered CFB media figure Rece Davis asked Belichick, “Did your dad ever try to talk you out of coaching?” Instinctively, you’d think that wouldn’t be the case. After all, Steve Belichick gave a lot to the game. But his efforts weren’t quite reciprocated monetarily, which is why Bill answered in the affirmative. “Yeah, he did. He sure did,” said Belichick, before proceeding to elaborate why.
“[My dad] was making 18-19K a year, whatever it was…My mom, my dad- we didn’t really have much. He said, ‘You don’t make any money in coaching. You just go get a job.’ He wanted me to go get a graduate assistant position and get an education. Maybe do some coaching as a GA [to] help pay for the education and masters and all that. So I applied to, like, 125 different schools…and only got about three or four responses. But Coach [Lou] Holtz hired me.” said Bill Belichick. Coach Holtz paved the way for Belichick to come to North Carolina State and dip his feet into the coaching realm. The rest, as they say, is history.
No matter your persuasions or rooting interests as a fan, you ought to be glad Belichick didn’t pursue a career outside of football. His imprint on the game is simply too vast and pronounced. Hindsight sure is 20/20, but we could’ve been deprived of the greatest defensive mind in football history. Alas, Belichick fortunately didn’t follow his dad’s exact counsel. Not that he’d mind, either, seeing how the pieces eventually fell! Belichick actually passed the baton on to his son as well, aptly named after his father Steve. Something he delved into during the aforementioned podcast.
Bill Belichick continues to add to the lineage his father set in motion
Steve aka Stephen Belichick is down in Chapel Hill alongside his father as UNC’s new defensive coordinator. A capacity he held with Washington before this. Steve has been on his dad’s staff with the Pats before. This personal dynamic in the workplace can often be counterproductive and even detrimental. But Bill Belichick has found success in doing so. Dabo Swinney lauded Belichick for giving him “encouragement” to do the same with his own sons and asked him how he manages to thrive within this dynamic. “It’s been great, it’s really been a great experience. Because, as you know, you miss some things as a dad as they’re growing up. You’re playing, you got away games, they’re playing their games and you can’t get to all of them. But no, it’s been great to work with them.” said Bill Belichick.
“The great thing about them is, and you probably experienced this a little bit, not everybody on your staff will always challenge you. But your kids will come in and be like, ‘What are you doing!’” he added. That’s a great perspective of how Belichick has managed to gain an edge by involving his kin to cut through “yes” men. But the decision to hire his son as DC could attract hostility if performances and results on the gridiron don’t match Bill Belichick’s reputation and stature. It’ll be fascinating to see how things play out with the Tar Heels this fall.
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