Belichick: The Making of the Greatest Football Coach of All Time by Ian O'Connor

Sep 07, 2019 Ed rated it it was ok · review of another edition

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a devout Patriots fan and awed by the brilliant football mind of it's coach. My issue with this unauthorized biography is the long winded sections about non football legal issues relating to "Spygate", "Deflategate" "Audio Headphonegate" and "Malcolm Butler Super Bowl Benching Gate". Nothing new here but I was interested in the teams the coach constructed that won six Super Bowls in 18 years. I get it, sports fans hate dynasties and always root for David ...more

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Oct 25, 2018 Brandon Forsyth rated it liked it

The word exhaustive is used in a few reviews here, and I think that’s a perfect double-edged adjective to use in describing this book. There are moments of clear insight here that rival the Tiger Woods biography from earlier this year in their penetrating revelations of the fragile egos behind these two great champions, but there’s also a lot of stuff here that’s got an obligatory feel to it, with little fresh study of the championships and the other hallowed and/or infamous moments of which eve ...more

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Feb 18, 2020 Andrew Lee rated it it was ok

starts out good but the latter portion, arguably the most interesting part of Belichick's career, might as well just be a compilation of gossipy ESPN articles. it costs $0 to read gossipy ESPN articles. ...more

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Apr 01, 2019 Bret Rock rated it liked it

Overall I thought it was fair to Belichick (note: I am a die-hard Pats' fan), but I would say that in talking about the "Gates" that O'Connor didn't do all that even-handed a job discussing them. There was also a few instances where he wrote what Belichick *should* have done in terms of roster development which seems a little presumptuous. It also came out before the sixth title, so the last chapter and the epilogue in particular feel less relevant.

Overall a good book, but not nearly as good as ...more

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Oct 11, 2018 Nancy Gacek rated it liked it

Enjoyed learning about his pre-Patriot years. He is emotionally stunted.

The Patriot years are well known and were redundant to me.

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Dec 31, 2018 Randell Green rated it it was amazing

Brilliant, but extremely dense and at times felt like a textbook. Fantastic memories with many instances I had long forgotten. 🏈🏈🏈

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Jun 07, 2020 Mike Hohrath rated it really liked it

Reading this alongside watching the docuseries "The Last Dance" has been a transformative experience over the last couple of weeks. The Last Dance follow's Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bull's dynasty during the 90's and this book cover's Belichick & Brady and the founding of the Patriots Dynasty of the 2000's-10's. What shines through in both works is the subject matter's absolute commitment to their craft and the champion mindset that is required to be the best at what you do. They have helpe Reading this alongside watching the docuseries "The Last Dance" has been a transformative experience over the last couple of weeks. The Last Dance follow's Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bull's dynasty during the 90's and this book cover's Belichick & Brady and the founding of the Patriots Dynasty of the 2000's-10's. What shines through in both works is the subject matter's absolute commitment to their craft and the champion mindset that is required to be the best at what you do. They have helped give me a new appreciation for professional athletics and a new focus in the pursuit of my own goals.

Belichick and his team have a reputation for being the Darth Vader of the NFL. His dominance over the sport is indisputable with his 6 championship rings, 10 appearances (also 2/2 with the Giants), and excellent winning average over the course of the regular seasons. The author does a great job portraying the elements of his philosophy, leadership style, and work ethic that make this happen.

The three elements that are the interwoven backbone of his success are: love of football, mastery of details, and absolutely grueling work ethic. From a young age, inspired by his father's career, he was immersed and constantly playing, watching or studying football. He worked hard and studied harder, and wasn't afraid to innovate throughout his career. This book highlights his incredible drive and regular 100 hour work weeks maintained over decades. In addition, his ability to innovate and see players for their strengths and weaknesses helped him create super star role players from players that were unsuccessful in their former teams.

His personality evolved over the years as he matured and became more confident in his role as coach. The author does a good job peeling back the Belichick image in the media and showing him as a supportive coach to his players and as a good friend. What's missing is his interactions with his ex-wife and children but I imagine he would be intensively private about those things. What's also missing is the man himself, as he wanted no part in this biography and some of the key figures in his story refused to interview as well. We only have the faces they put on to the public and the testimony some former teammates and coaches. What's also appropriately covered are Deflategate and Spygate, not hammered home but definitely addressed and fully considered.

All in all, this is a well rounded biography of an iconic New England figure and the greatest Football coach of all time. What most stuck with me is the drive and intensity needed to master one's craft and the focus on winning above all else. The other elements that stuck with me is letting actions dictate the narrative and some solid elements of leadership like setting the example, supporting your team and having a well justified belief in the strength of your teammates. Also the need to master all the fine details and be constantly well prepared. One quote that Belichick had hung up from Sun Tzu that sticks with me and encapsulates his philosophy "Every battle is won or lost before it's ever fought" ...more

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Jul 14, 2020 Ben Zornes rated it it was ok

Shelves: book-candy, biography

Ok, ok...I got curious. I am decidedly not a Pats fan. But success is intriguing, and I wanted to see what sort of leader the most successful coach in NFL history was.
In short, there aren't a lot of takeaways in this book, as Belichick notoriously holds his cards close. This biography is largely what others have to say about him. He is ruthlessly focused. He is surprisingly generous. He is shameless in gaming the rules. He is great at taking responsibility for team failures. He is willing to lis ...more

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Feb 10, 2020 John W rated it it was amazing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Bill Belicheck is one of the most feared figures by the media today. His monotone voice and his “I wish I wasn’t here” attitude drive those who want information crazy. Even though the author of this book, Ian O’Connor, admittedly never interviewed Belichick, he still interviewed hundreds of people close to him to get the information he needed. Billy has been in a lot of sports recently because of his relationship with Tom Brady and how it will impact Brady’s free agency decision and the future Bill Belicheck is one of the most feared figures by the media today. His monotone voice and his “I wish I wasn’t here” attitude drive those who want information crazy. Even though the author of this book, Ian O’Connor, admittedly never interviewed Belichick, he still interviewed hundreds of people close to him to get the information he needed. Billy has been in a lot of sports recently because of his relationship with Tom Brady and how it will impact Brady’s free agency decision and the future of the New England Patriots. In the midst of the drama, I believed that there was not a more appropriate time to read this book.

During this section of reading for me, the second half of the book, Belicheck begins his tenure in New England after a disappointing time in Cleveland. Belicheck, believe it or not, had a poor experience in New England at first. He was the successor to Pete Carroll and Pete Carroll is a known nice guy. Bill Bellicheck was the exact opposite as Pete Carroll and he proved it when he put his players through “hell”. Players would say that they never have been mentally and physically drained as much as they did when Bill put them through “Belichick week”. Many players did not believe that this cruel coaching was the right method if they wanted to gain each other's trust. Many did not want Bellichick in the first place, but Kraft did not listen to them and instead brought him in. Bill’s time looked to be deja vu to his time in Cleveland before his starting quarterback, Drew Bledsoe, went down with an injury after getting hit by Jet's linebacker, Mo Lewis during a 2001 exhibition game. After that, Belichick hit rock bottom because he believed that if he ended up with another losing season then he would be fired. This of course was not the case because of Tom Brady and they went on to win the Superbowl in 2002, 2004 and 2005. The book glossed over multiple scandals such as the infamous spygate, deflategate and even benching Malcolm Butler. The largest scandal however was of course the Aaron Hernandez situation. Believe it or not, during the whole situation Bill was calling his family and keeping in touch in Kraft because he did not know what to do. Aaron Hernandez almost compromised his relationship with not only Kraft, but also Tom Brady at the time. Since Bill drafted Aaron, Kraft questioned Bill’s ability to access talent successfully. This shows one of the most important lessons in the book, someone may be seen as god-like on the field, but off the field they are just like anyone else, very human. The press conferences and interviews definitely could not teach you about the mysterious Bill as this book did.

I liked how the book focused on Bill so precisely. Even though Bill is on the cover, you would think that at times the author would go off topic and talk about someone else. This was not the case however, when the Malcolm Butler situation was brought to the attention of the author, his name could have been replaced with an x variable and the story would not have changed. It focused more on how Belicheck felt than what he did during each situation.

I wish that he actually interviewed because it would be exciting if he could clarify certain things like why was he so calm about Spygate and if he really did deflategate or not. The small things would have made this book that much better, even though it was strong anyway. Ian O'Connor worked around the fact that Bill Belichick is a very introverted man to the public and interviewed those who are close to him that know a thing or two about him. He worked it well considering the feat he was asked to complete.

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Apr 10, 2019 Benjamin Marcher rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: bios-and-memoirs

This was a well-written account of Bill Belichick and how be became the coach in New England, then how he used the team to grow and become the successful football genius he is today. A pillar of responsibility and steadfastness leading the winningest team and the GOAT to countless thrilling championships, and fighting his way through myriad controversies can be a life difficult to recount, but O'Connor tried his best to humanize the unflinching resting bitch face that Belichick personifies, whil ...more

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Apr 18, 2020 Alisa Luciano rated it it was ok · review of another edition

So almost 500 pages is a lot for a presidential biography and this is a football coach, not a president. First, it was long. I am basically the most un-footbally person out there. But I do watch the Patriots games when they are on in my house. Mostly I am interested in people and personalities. Belichick reminds me of a sarcastic professor who knows he’s smarter than everyone else, demands the hard work he expends from everyone else, but is also nice to people undercover and in ways you don’t ex ...more

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Mar 08, 2019 Userme59 rated it liked it

Shelves: football, non-fiction, nonfiction, sports, coaching, patriots

Patriot haters might hate this because you have to read a lot about the greatest coach in history. Patriot lovers might hate this because of the heavy negative focus towards Belichick. I think a neutral person would say that Belichick is fascinating and that the book spends too much time on left handed compliments. O'Connor probably set out to be unbiased, but his bias is very clear throughout the book. He might want to re-think his last chapter based on the results of the 2019 Super Bowl. ...more

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Jun 08, 2019 Tom Stamper rated it it was amazing

I wouldn't call this a biography because Mr. O'Connor has very little to tell us about the coach outside the game he is known for. It does begin with the requisite genealogy that you'd see in a biography, but other than announcing a child's birth or a friend passing the story is about how this marginal athlete became the most important coach of the Super Bowl era. This is told in a series of relationships beginning with Bill and his father and progressing with the coaches he played for and then I wouldn't call this a biography because Mr. O'Connor has very little to tell us about the coach outside the game he is known for. It does begin with the requisite genealogy that you'd see in a biography, but other than announcing a child's birth or a friend passing the story is about how this marginal athlete became the most important coach of the Super Bowl era. This is told in a series of relationships beginning with Bill and his father and progressing with the coaches he played for and then the coaches he coached with.

That his father, Steve Belichick, was a longtime football coach at the Naval Academy is significant in two ways. Football was his upbringing and that upbringing happened at a service academy so his approach to coaching would be more regimented and thus more thorough than his rivals. Life is certainly more complicated than such a summary but it sure makes for a smooth narrative and it's consistent with how his life would unfold.

The reader and the football fan will never really understand why Coach Belichick worked harder than his rivals and continued to do so into his late 60s when he had enough money to last 10 lifetimes. Why are some people driven to be better while others are content with whatever success or luck they happen upon? It's the key to progress in human history. In the case of football, Belichick's drive to be better forced other NFL coaches to work harder and be more innovative.

All of conventional wisdom that coaches use to follow was disrupted when Belichick refused to sit on the ball tied with less than a minute in the 4th quarter in his first Super Bowl. John Madden told us in the audience the conventional wisdom and then Belichick was a fool for rejecting it until he won the game to confound the critics. How did he know not to call the timeout with a minute left against the Seahawks in that later Super Bowl? How did his team remember the defensive scheme they hadn't used since summer camp that created the Malcolm Butler interception that won the game?

Belichick taught us that football is a series of adjustments and no one was more ready to adjust to what his competitors gave him. This is what everyone can learn from great football coaches. Working harder is not enough. You have to be willing to face ridicule by doing unpopular things to grow beyond average. This is why I love Belichick's press conferences. He effectively reduces his circle of concern when it comes to the press and their pressure. The NFL insists that he go and talk to the media for the sake of the NFL brand but Belichick doesn't give energy to that distraction. Win or lose or Goodell he is getting ready to play Miami next week no matter what the scribes ask him.

There is much here about sign stealing and the deflation of football air pressure. The author gives us a deep look into both of those controversies. For those who cannot outwork Belichick or are unfortunate like me to root for teams that have to get passed him for championships this has become an easy narrative to explain their failure. As a longtime baseball fan I find it hilarious that football fans treat these things as unusual. Sign stealing and doctored baseballs are as old as organized baseball. Football is a game where you have to be on guard or risk serious injury or even death on every play. How does that reality exist in the same world where teams whine about sign stealing? It reduces the game to touch football in Hyannis Port.

When sports leagues decide what elements teams are allowed to manage it is understood those teams will manage those items according to their own competitive advantage. The Colorado Rockies keep their baseballs in a humidor to limit the carry. Groundskeepers cut the grass infield differently when facing teams that like to bunt for base hits. If Tom Brady's team manages his footballs then his footballs are going to conform with what makes Tom Brady happy. If the league wants footballs to be a certain PSI then the league should inflate and manage the footballs the entire game. This is not a gentleman's game like golf where players call penalties on themselves.

I'm a Detroit Lions fan that hopes his team someday gets into the Super Bowl and does not face Bill Belichick. But I know if my team beats Bill Belichick in the Super Bowl then they really were the best team in football for at least that moment. The game will not be the same when he retires. There will be other coaches that will be innovative and driven more than their opponents. It almost looked like Jim Harbaugh was going to be one of them before fleeing to the safe confines of Ann Arbor. But we will never see the likes of Belichick again. He has already won another Super Bowl since the publication of the book last fall. He could likely win again. This book will need further editions in order to remain the comprehensive study of the subject. And this is a subject worth studying in detail. Appreciate Belichick while he still in the area because football will be less interesting when leaves the scene. ...more

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Oct 29, 2018 Bookreporter.com Biography & Memoir rated it it was amazing

Ian O’Connor’s BELICHICK is a deep and substantive dive into the life of a man many recognize as one of professional football’s greatest coaches. It is a football junkie’s delight, providing generous detail about a man whose football destiny was declared almost at birth. O’Connor accomplished this meticulous chronicle without any assistance from his subject or many in Belichick’s inner circle. He makes it quite clear that Belichick, in addition to declining interviews for the book, asked friends Ian O’Connor’s BELICHICK is a deep and substantive dive into the life of a man many recognize as one of professional football’s greatest coaches. It is a football junkie’s delight, providing generous detail about a man whose football destiny was declared almost at birth. O’Connor accomplished this meticulous chronicle without any assistance from his subject or many in Belichick’s inner circle. He makes it quite clear that Belichick, in addition to declining interviews for the book, asked friends and colleagues not to speak with him. Some did, but many were simply afraid to do so. They were even reluctant to share the warmest stories about Belichick that the public may not know about.

As O’Connor points out, many of the greatest coaches in the history of sports carried some baggage acquired during their exemplary careers. In basketball, John Wooden, Bobby Knight and Rick Pitino are cheered for their NCAA championships but are also remembered for personal shortcomings. Many great baseball managers in the steroid era proudly wear World Series rings along with the scar of casting a blind eye to their players’ use of performance-enhancing chemicals. Belichick’s championships with the New England Patriots will always provoke discussions that focus on illegal filming of opposing coaches’ signals and “Deflategate.” This biography is O’Connor’s attempt to unravel the mystery of the man. In 2000, he wrote a newspaper column predicting that Belichick would be a failure as coach of the Patriots based on his stint in Cleveland. The fact that O’Connor was so wrong served as inspiration to discover the hows and whys of his incredible success.

The early years of Belichick’s coaching career followed a traditional and familiar path. Upon graduation from college, Billy, as he was called in his first job, became an unpaid assistant with the Baltimore Colts. Steve Belichick, Bill’s father, had many friends in football coaching, which helped land him a spot with Ted Marchibroda in his first year coaching the Colts. While connections are helpful in any job, Belichick took advantage of this opportunity to immerse himself in every aspect of coaching. It was soon obvious to everyone that once he was put in a room to do a job, you would not see him until the job was done. Perhaps most important, as one veteran player observed, “I don’t remember him spending a lot of time or energy going out of his way to attach himself with the players. He didn’t find any pressure to be liked.”

Moving smoothly up the coaching ladder and having outgrown the despised “Billy” moniker, Belichick was the defensive coordinator for the New York Giants with two Super Bowl victories to his credit when he was named the head coach of the Cleveland Browns in 1985. Browns owner Art Modell was sold on the 38-year-old after recommendations from many coaches and from Bob Knight, who met Belichick through his coaching friends at West Point. Belichick had a plan, the Modell family believed, “not like the other guys in the past.”

While an argument regarding his Cleveland tenure can be an exhausting fan debate, it was there where some of Belichick’s most questionable coaching practices were honed. He believed in frequent and physical practices, and constructed a wall of secrecy around himself and his players. To this day, his truncated monosyllabic repeated answers at press conferences are a great source of material for ESPN, YouTube and Twitter.

Belichick’s tremendous success in New England is already well-known to both fans and detractors. I will let them debate his qualities elsewhere, but they are well-detailed in O’Connor’s book. I prefer to conclude this review with mention of the final chapter titled “Human Bill.” It opens with the question “Is Belichick really as big a prick as he seems?” The answer is no. There are countless stories of kindness, charitable donations to worthy causes that go unpublicized, and generosity to players. My favorite is Belichick giving punter Josh Miller a copy of WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS, the book of children’s poetry that my wife and I also give as a baby gift. All I need now is a handful of Super Bowl rings to have something else in common with possibly professional football’s greatest coach.

Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman ...more

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Jun 08, 2019 Scott Martin rated it liked it

(3.5 Stars) This work attempts to provide the biography to date about one of the greatest, and most mysterious, head coaches in football history. O’Connor relies on various sources (but not a lot of interaction with the man himself) to get insight into the life and actions of the man who went from being the son of a renowned coach, to protégée of a legendary coach, to a failed first experiment to getting his chance to not only coach again, but through planning and some luck, emerge to become one (3.5 Stars) This work attempts to provide the biography to date about one of the greatest, and most mysterious, head coaches in football history. O’Connor relies on various sources (but not a lot of interaction with the man himself) to get insight into the life and actions of the man who went from being the son of a renowned coach, to protégée of a legendary coach, to a failed first experiment to getting his chance to not only coach again, but through planning and some luck, emerge to become one of the top coaches of not just the NFL, but of any sport.

While there is a lot in here about the upbringing of the man, and O’Connor does about as well as can be expected to bring to life a man who is very protective of his privacy, there still seems to be a lot unknown about the man. The author will go on some various tangents about matters related to Belichick and the Patriots, but perhaps spends too much time on those contextual matters and not enough on the man. The personal side is still a mystery, even after reading this book (then again, given the public nature of the coaching job, detailed interviews with family and close friends are not always forthcoming).

Overall Belichick is very much a man who matches his reputation, even if he has a few surprises. He is all business with football and in many cases, does have the respect of players and coaches. Yet, he can be incredibly petty and bitter, with slights evolving into long-standing feuds that may or may not ever resolve. Of note, this book was written after the controversial loss to the Eagles in SuperBowl LII, when his decision to bench starter Malcolm Butler came under fire after the Eagles torched his defense in an 8 point loss. There was a great deal of grumbling and questioning of the man and his methods. As a result, the book seemed to be reflecting a swan song of the great coach, one whose time had finally run out. Yet, I was reading this book in the months after Super Bowl LIII, when Belichick, Brady and the Patriots are coming off of their biggest (by margin of victory) Super Bowl win and their sixth overall. So long as Brady is healthy as the QB, and Belichick can still get the most out of his defense and players, they will be perennial contenders for the title.

For the football fan, worth a read, but I would not exactly take this to be the final word about the coach. For that, I feel you will have to wait for a long time to get that picture, especially since the subject is in no mood to offer his own insight anytime soon. ...more

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Feb 02, 2021 Anthony Stewart rated it really liked it

This is a detailed accounting of the greatest coach in NFL history. It is not as good of a book as David Halberstam's "The Education of a Coach," but it provides a more complete picture of Belichick's career.
The most interesting parts for me was the development of his coaching style over the years, from his time in New York with the football Giants, his first head coaching gig, until his extended stay with my hometown Patriots. He has developed in the way he treats his players. An updated accoun This is a detailed accounting of the greatest coach in NFL history. It is not as good of a book as David Halberstam's "The Education of a Coach," but it provides a more complete picture of Belichick's career.
The most interesting parts for me was the development of his coaching style over the years, from his time in New York with the football Giants, his first head coaching gig, until his extended stay with my hometown Patriots. He has developed in the way he treats his players. An updated accounting for his treatment of racial injustice within his locker room, as players have raved about his handling of this in the offseason leading into the strange 2021 season. It goes against the Trump sections of this book.
As a work of journalism O'Conner's use of unnamed sources is suspect in his reporting of turmoil in New England toward the end of Brady's career. The subsequent fall out/moving-on after the books publishing, however, has vindicated the narrative that he presents; so take that as you will.
As a Brady superfan, but also a fan of the great coach, I must say that grattitude is the only acceptable stance for hometown fans. Any book that is predicated on judging Belichick negatively for his roster moves, draft blunders, or harsh demeanor is the least grateful way to look at decades of success. Are the other coaches flawless in the draft? Do they not have to cut down to a 53 man roster? Are there a lot of 20+ year coaches that haven't got some outspoken former players as critics? The only acceptable stance for a Patriots fan is to get on your hands and knees and thank Belichick for the joy he's brought you. For non-fans: hatred is fine.
O'Connor's book has the unenviable task of reporting the good and the bad. But the bad, of course, stands out and feels heavier than the good. Sections on Spygate and Deflate-gate seem to last far longer than the handfuls of super bowl victories. Also, O'Connor, maybe don't call him "Little Bill" for hundreds of pages? Coach Belichick also works you punk! What was that? Write a 500 page book about a coach and refer to him in regards to his position in comparison to Parcells?
But the book deals with much of the positives. His generosity to staff and players over the years. His methods. And Ernie Adams; whom we will never understand, therefore he is the most fascinating man in football.
Hopefully we'll remember some of the positives over the negatives. ...more

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Feb 14, 2021 Erick Pastora rated it really liked it

Shelves: biography, sports

To sum up Belichick's football career and everything around it in just over 500 pages must've been a Herculean task, and will probably later be edited to give us all the details on the Patriots' sixth ring and the divorce between Tom Brady and New England.

"I'm telling you... Get away from the media thing and know Bill" were the words of one of Belichick's coaching staff members and this is precisely what this book does. This unauthorized biography gives you an insight into how Belichick was a wi To sum up Belichick's football career and everything around it in just over 500 pages must've been a Herculean task, and will probably later be edited to give us all the details on the Patriots' sixth ring and the divorce between Tom Brady and New England.

"I'm telling you... Get away from the media thing and know Bill" were the words of one of Belichick's coaching staff members and this is precisely what this book does. This unauthorized biography gives you an insight into how Belichick was a winning coach before actually being one, how the planets aligned to give him a franchise willing to give him full confidence to call the shots and a quarterback in Tom Brady that signified someone now being called the GOAT of the sport but that was taken with the 199th pick and was massively underpaid just to keep doing good for his organization.

The experience of reading this book and getting familiar with the particular character that Bill Belichick is, gives you an emotional twist chapter after chapter portraying Belichick as a son, as a father, as a coach, as the biggest SOB, as an off the media charitable guy and ultimately as a human. We all love portrayals of the biggest characters in sports as heros, and just as recent Netflix - ESPN documentary The Last Dance helped to better portray Michael Jordan as a human being with flaws instead of the superhero, this book helps you get to stop seeing Bill Belichick as the evil grumpy guy the media shows him to be.

Controversies are a big part of the Patriots dynasty, as it has been with many other sports franchises over the years. The New England Patriots became the New York Yankees in the sense that the more they won, the more fans outside their hometowns wanted them to lose. If not for Belichick and Brady, many NFL players and coaches could've had much more success than they had, including Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Kurt Warner, Matt Ryan, Pete Carroll, among others. But spygate and deflategate, among Aaron Hernández and all those other scandals will always bring questions and asterisks to their dynasty until the end of time.

Ultimately, we all know that Belichick should be unanimously inducted into the Hall of Fame once he becomes eligible, but being the reserved character that he is, it will be difficult to remember Belichick as warmly as other sport figures like Phil Jackson. ...more

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Apr 08, 2020 Paul rated it liked it

Shelves: biographies-memoirs, sports

Book #3 of the self-isolation bookshelf clean out. This one had been sitting in a stack after I received it as a Christmas gift over a year ago, and I had not been inclined to pick it up because I had the impression that it was going to prevent a pretty slanted view.

In the end, I was pleasantly surprised by how balanced this book was, with a few exceptions. Although the coach himself wasn't interviewed, the author managed to speak with seemingly dozens of players, coaches, and associates to pain ...more

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Sep 11, 2019 Richard rated it liked it

Recommends it for: New Englanders unsatisfied by year-'round coverage of the Patriots.

Recommended to Richard by: A good friend passed it along for my edification

This is an extensively detailed study of Belichick's life pretty much up to his Patriot days.

It was frequently too anal for me to stay the course, as it were, and I never did see a reasonable analysis of how the coach might have prepared his team for, say, their 6th Super Bowl championship, shutting down the Rams' high-powered offense nearly completely. The book does not actually get that far, but, outside of watching and cutting film, little is offered analytically save the exceptional results. ...more

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Sep 26, 2019 Reza Moaddeli is currently reading it

As of this review I am on page 33

Bill Belichick was born into a football family. His father, Steve Belichick was a coach at the Naval academy. Young Bill learned from the Naval players to respect your elders and work hard. In high school Bill was a standout center and played defense in lacrosse. Bill studied football 24/7 from a young age and perfected his craft of snapping the ball.
Up to where I am currently the main characters have been Bill, his father Steve Belichick and his mother Jeanett ...more

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Feb 07, 2019 Brian rated it really liked it

The title of this book is misleading. This isn't so much about the making of Bill Belichick as it is about his success.

The Education of a Coach is a better "making of" book. That book had more background on his upbringing, his father, and his early years. It was published in 2006, so there wasn't as much to work with.

This book sort of breezes through childhood and his early jobs. It starts getting more filled in when we get to the Giants. And that makes sense since the author was not able to tal ...more

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Apr 02, 2019 Zach Scott rated it it was amazing

The novel Belichick by Ian O'Connor is a fabulous book. The biography of the NFL’s most brilliant coach Bill Belichick is perhaps the most fascinating coach in the NFL. Bill is apart of the most winningest franchises in sports. The setting of the book Belichick is wonderful because it is set in the music city of Nashville Tennessee. Bill made many new friends who he had met in the city of Nashville. While Bill lived in the music city he went to every one of the local country concerts. His favori ...more

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Dec 01, 2020 Chad Bullard rated it it was amazing

Really enjoyed this book. I finished it this summer. I wished I would have written my review after reading. I guess I need to get back to using goodreads again. It has been awhile. This book did a great job of showing whom Bill Belichick is as a coach. You get to see what makes him tick and how he become the greatest NFL coach of all time. He was almost would have never happened, but a freak play against the Jets happened, and in comes Brady to take over, and the rest is history. He is probably ...more

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Jan 19, 2019 Michael B rated it it was ok

Books like there are always a gamble. Is it about the subject and their life? Or is the book about the author’s agenda and point of view? It felt like the author consistently used some facts and entirely too much heresay to frame Belichick as he saw fit rather than leaving it up to the reader to form an opinion. Do I care what the author feels about Belichick’s personality shortcomings, brush ups with the NFL or politics? Not in the least, and that really diminished the book for me. Is it any wo ...more

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Jan 10, 2020 Michael Mc rated it really liked it

Shelves: sports

The word exhaustive is used in a few reviews here, and I think that’s a perfect double-edged adjective to use in describing this book. There are moments of clear insight here that rival the Tiger Woods biography from earlier this year in their penetrating revelations of the fragile egos behind these two great champions, but there’s also a lot of stuff here that’s got an obligatory feel to it, with little fresh study of the championships and the other hallowed and/or infamous moments of which eve ...more

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Oct 20, 2018 Geoffrey Clapp rated it it was amazing

Enjoyable, detailed read; while most people will be very familiar with his Patriots successes (and challenges) unpacking his early career - and the dense, overlapping world that is football coaches - is well researched and interesting. It shapes the story of a focused, intense, line-walking individual who is impossible to categorize. Your point of view on Belichick and the Patriots writ large will inform if you think the book is "too tough" or "not tough enough", which illustrates that it balanc ...more

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Jan 06, 2019 Ben rated it liked it

Breezy read about Belichick. More nuanced than many of the Boston-area reporters as relates to very competitive scandals. Few takeaways:

1. Leadership style - focus on being the same person ever day; very demanding and detail focused, but try to relate on a personal level
2. Media - sounds like BB and his team are pretty active putting out leaks to trusted reporters
3. Work ethic - pretty amazing just how demanding BB is of himself and his staff, starting before 6am most days and going well into th ...more

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May 25, 2019 Scott Vout rated it liked it

Shelves: sports

A very interesting read if you have any interest in the Patriots and Bill Belichick.

I have been a fan of both for over 30 years so i enjoyed this one. Bleichick had nothing to do with the story according to Mr. O'Connor so I found it very interesting how information was obtained.

The events written about came back to my memory as though yesterday. I would say 90% i could confirm through following the team over the years. That 10% that i did not remember or did not know was what made the book for ...more

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Jul 01, 2020 David Edie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: football, biography-memoir, leadership

Ian O'Connor is an exceptional biographer. This was the 2nd sports biography of his that I have read (I previously read "The Captain", focusing on Derek Jeter) and once again he turned out a phenomenal story, detailing not only the internal and external forces that make Belichick the greatest coach in NFL history, but some of the negative consequences of the actions that have made him so good at his job. My next book will surely be O'Connor's "Arnie and Jack" about two of golf's greatest legends ...more

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Nov 02, 2018 Namuel rated it it was ok

a book with an agenda filled with opinion hearsay and conjectures. so many unsourced quotes. it’s hard to take as a historical non fiction. reads like a summary of media articles with no further insight. no inside knowledge. things are often presented out of order and with oversimplification

poorly written too (two-Pete) and a part of me wants to say that they knew it too cause his first place writing awards were added to the author bio

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