Football
Featured Columnist IVDecember 12, 2024
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Bill Belichick made the move from the NFL to college football—with a brief detour into some media duties this year—on Wednesday, officially becoming the head coach at North Carolina.
His former quarterback, Tom Brady, reacted to the news by referencing the old New England Patriots’ philosophy, “The Patriot Way.”
Mike Kadlick @mikekadlick
Tom Brady reacts to Bill Belichick becoming North Carolina’s next head coach:
“Congrats Coach
The Tar Heel way is about to become a thing ????”
Former Patriots running back Kevin Faulk offered his own definition for “The Patriot Way” in an article for The Players’ Tribune back in 2017:
“Some people say it’s the way Coach Belichick runs the team, preaching accountability and placing a strong emphasis on doing your job. Some say it’s our style of play, with Brady as our quarterback. But truthfully, it’s neither. The Patriot Way ain’t about nothing but winning, man. That’s it. See, Coach Belichick is the kind of guy who doesn’t care what you do on your own time. He wants you to know football and he wants you to come to work every day and do your job to the best of your ability. Anything else, he doesn’t really care.”
“The Patriot Way” resulted in six titles during the Belichick and Brady years, and trying to mimic that type of success at North Carolina—traditionally a basketball school—will be no easy task. And unlike in the NFL, Belichick may need to reiterate to his players that keeping their grades up to maintain eligibility is important.
The transition will be a lot smoother, however, if North Carolina’s players understand the central tenet of a Belichick team—it ain’t about nothing but winning, man.
Read More Timothy Rapp