In a historically revealing interview, Tom Brady’s father, Tom Brady Sr., shed light on Bill Belichick and his coaching style. The remarkable 20-year partnership between Tom Brady and Bill Belichick yielded 6 SBs and transformed the Patriots into one of the most successful franchises in NFL history.
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Belichick’s coaching genius was instrumental in extracting the best performance from the 3-time NFL MVP. While the 8-time SB-winning coach was highly regarded on the field and earned the respect of the players he coached, his off-field demeanor left a less enduring impression.
Brady Sr. believes Belichick often comes across as rude, harsh, and cold, possibly stemming from his upbringing in a different era and military culture. He attributes Belichick’s toughness to these formative influences but suggests that his coaching philosophy and his interpersonal skills may not align with the demands of coaching modern players. He, however, reiterated that Bill is a great coach but characterized him as egotistic.
This ego became apparent when Belichick expressed the desire to move forward without Brady, the 6-time SB-winning QB to depart from Boston after two decades. Brady Sr implies that this decision was indicative of Belichick’s singular focus on winning, even at the cost of partying ways with the player who has been an integral part of the Patriots’ unprecedented success. He talked to the Boston Globe in a revealing interview,
“Bill is tough,” said Brady Sr. “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.”
It feels that Brady Sr. is not the sole individual holding such sentiment. One of his former players Ted Johnson, attributed a portion of his amphetamine addiction, depression, and headaches related to post-concussion syndrome to Bill Belichick. Johnson claimed that Bill compelled him to participate in full contact drills just a few days after the concussion.
Adam Butler, another ex-player under Bill’s coaching, currently with the Raiders, expressed his displeasure and a sense of disrespect after Belichick snubbed him following the Raiders’ 21-17 victory over the Patriots in the game week 7 of the 2023-24 season according to Sports Illustrated.
However, Brady Sr, like his son, is not interested in buying the narrative that the success the Patriots saw for so many years was solely because of number 12,
“I don’t think it’s fair what I’ve seen everybody saying that it’s all Tom. Bill is the best coach in football, bar none. The last three or four years of his tenure in New England have been in the dumper. It’s too bad.”
Although the players themselves who played for a long time have the best to say about the coach, maybe it is not the same for everyone. Belichick parted ways with the Patriots after the conclusion of the 2023-24 season after a dismal few seasons without Brady and Tom Brady Sr. has a reason as to why Bill’s stock plummeted without his son.
Tom Brady Sr Explains Why Bill Belichick Failed Without His Son
Critics have crucified Belichick for his failure to win following the departure of Brady. His record without a 7-time SB winner is just 47-57 with the Patriots. In 4-years after him, the Patriots went 29-38 (.433) with a solitary playoff appearance. Many have attributed his success to Tom and said it is evident from the fact that 3-time NFL MVP won another SB without Bill. However, Tom Brady Sr. doesn’t think that.
Calling Bill great he asserted that, it was the former Patriots coach’s ego and the military mindset that he hadn’t been able to achieve success without his son. He believes when Belichick made Tom leave because he thought that he was an aging player with nothing left in the tank, he didn’t realize he was losing more than just an important player. He said Bill’s ego clouded his thinking. He said,
“When he went without Tommy, he didn’t know what he was losing. You’re losing more than just a quarterback. Ego sometimes gets in the way of things. I think it did with Bill. Now, he’s in a situation where he’s gotten crucified for the last few years by everybody and a lot of lustre has come off his rose.”
Despite Brady Sr. being vocal about his son’s former HC, Brady felt it was Belichick who made him great by bringing the best out of him. He said Bill realized the potential he had. He was lucky to play under him. He could never have been the player without him. Whatever happens next for Belichick, he will always be remembered as one of the greatest coaches of all time.
