Son Jokes About Patriots' Bill Belichick: 'Obviously Old'

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick has enjoyed unparalleled success at his profession for more than two decades. How does he maintain it? His son Stephen recently provided some valuable insight on the subject.

FOXBORO — As The Godfather's Michael Corleone said, “If I ever need help, who is a better consigliere than my father?’

For the New England Patriots, the proverbial ‘head of the family’ duties primarily fall to coach Bill Belichick. Still, the 71-year-old has routinely sought the wisdom and counsel of a talented collection of assistant coaches, including his son Stephen, who currently serves as outside linebackers coach. 

Though Stephen expectedly holds his father in the highest regard, he could not resist the opportunity to provide the type of compliment only a son could provide on the eve of his dad’s 24th season as Patriots head coach, and 49th collectively in the NFL. 

"I mean, he’s obviously old. He’s definitely old,” Belichick said as he drew a chuckle from the reporters joining him via video conference. “But, I haven’t seen a ton of changes in terms of his approach. I think he does a good job adapting. He’s not stuck in his ways. He listens to feedback and implements it."

Bill Belichick’s prowess as an NFL head coach requires no embellishment. Six Super Bowl championships and becoming a three-time AP Coach of the Year award recipient are just some of the accolades which he has collected during his time on the sidelines. Whether he is praised as a ‘defensive genius’ or playfully mocked as a ‘diabolical manipulator,’ the ‘HC of the NEP’ has reached the top of the coaching plateau for one, simple reason: he has never ceased to be a student of the game.

Per his son’s words, Belichick is not afraid to impart his concepts with monotonous repetition. His players will frequently practice basic hand techniques and foot placements. They will become experts on ways to bat down a pass, shed a blocker, or gain leverage. In short, they will do so until they get it right.

Yet, the younger Belichick was eager to remind the detractors that his father has never shied from adapting his approach to fit the modern game — which includes listening to input from the younger coaches on his staff. 

Simply put, even the ‘consigliere’ needs counsel on occasion. 

“He's always open to feedback. He'll listen. And that's from a lot of people in the building -- players, coaches, support staff, everybody -- to try and learn and improve. I mean, I've never heard him say, like, 'I got this. It is what it is. We're done with. We're not gonna progress or change based on what we have.'

“There's always a level of, 'What can we do better? What do we need to do better?'”

Cred: USA Today Sports

Though he now sits atop the list of oldest head coaches in the NFL alongside Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, (who will numerically surpass him when he turns 72 on Sept. 15) Belichick still remains the longest-tenured at his position. In October, he moved past former Chicago Bears head coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer George Halas into sole possession of second place among all NFL coaches, continuing his pursuit of the record of 347 total wins held by fellow legend Don Shula. Belichick is also tied [with Shula] for first all-time among NFL head coaches, having led the Patriots to 19 playoff appearances.

Though his pursuit of Shula's records is clearly in his sights, Belichick remains cognizant of his more immediate need to guide the Pats back to their winning ways in short order.

The Patriots were once again on the outside of the AFC playoff picture at the conclusion of 2022. They finished the season at 8-9, losing three of their final four games for the second consecutive year. With an unsuccessful installation of assistant coach Matt Patricia as offenisve play caller, as well as rumored tension with quarterback Mac Jones, Belichick is eager to put last season behind both him and the team. 

In addition to hiring offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien and offensive line coach Adrian Klemm to repair what had been a severely fractured offense, the Patriots also added receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and tight end Mike Gesicki to their stable of pass-catchers, hoping to infuse some much-needed athleticism into their repertoire. New England also infused some talented youth into their defense by selecting cornerback Christian Gonzalez, defensive  end Keion White and hybrid linebacker Marte Mapu in the first, second and third rounds respectively in April’s draft. With the season set to kick off less than six days, the pursuit of a return to the playoffs and their winning ways begins immediately. 

Accordingly, Belichick is entering the season with lofty expectations. Never one to forget where he has been, he also remains keenly aware of where he must go. While he is open to feedback on potentially implementing new ideas and concepts, the metaphorical ‘buck’ stops at his desk.  

“As the head coach, it’s up to him whether he wants to implement the changes or do things differently than how maybe (they were) done before,” Belichick said of his father. “But, he’s not a micromanager. He lets us do what we do. He hired us to do a job. He has trust in us to do a job. But if it’s not good enough, then he’ll step in and tell you that it’s just flat-out not good enough.”

The Belichicks, along with the rest of the Patriots, will host the Philadelphia Eagles at Gillette Stadium on Sunday for their season-opener. Kickoff is set for 4:25 p.m. ET. 

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