It was quite the week for coach Belichick last week.
First, he had a wildly entertaining appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.
Belichick has traded Foxboro for Chapel Hill, and apparently, hes living his best digital life.
The man who once mocked SnapFace and InstaChat is now an Instagram power user.
As he told McAfee, his DMs are popping off like a college kids after rush week.
Its all about the transfer portal.
A lot of guys [are] contacting us wanting to come to Carolina, Belichick said.
Translation: hes swiping right on blue-chip athletes and building a Tar Heel empire.
I cannot believe youre using your SnapFace DMs, he laughed.
Its almost poetic: the stoic, hoodie-clad mastermind navigating a sea of emojis and Yo Coach!
Imagine the recruiting pitch: Come to Carolina.
Have you seen some of the coaches who worked for me who got jobs other places?"
Perhaps the most surprising moment of the interview?
Belichicks take on resting starters.
You cant say, These guys are important, but youre not, he explained.
Its vintage Belichick: pragmatic, team-first, and unapologetically old school.
But Belichick didnt stop at recruiting stories.
He dropped gems about clock management, a subject thats baffling NFL coaches left and right.
From Matt Eberflus turkey-day timeout debacle to Raheem Morris time management misfire, Belichick has seen it all.
His rule of thumb?
Spread your timeouts strategically- not too early, not too late.
Its the Goldilocks approach to football.
Even better, he shared how Tom Brady revolutionized his thinking.
A fundamental shift in strategy that gave the Patriots an edge and added another layer to the Brady-Belichick mystique.
If I screw it up, then thats my fault, Brady told him.
Classic TB12, owning the moment like the general he was.
And speaking of moments, Belichick reminded us why Adam Vinatieri deserves a spot in Canton.
That was a tough kick, Belichick said, giving credit where its due.
Great kick for sure, but definitely not on this level.
Sorry but 45 yards in the driving snow, in the playoffs.
Belichick even said so himself 5 years ago!
It’s clear Belichick wasnt a fan of how he was portrayed compared to TB12 and Robert Kraft.
He humorously referred to the documentary as a roast rather than a legitimate portrayal of his legacy.
The other documentary, as you remember, is a roast.
I wouldnt count that one, Belichick quipped, drawing laughter from McAfees crew.
Props to Belichick for taking a professionally produced takedown like that doc in stride, and letting it slide.
He’s a better man than I.
And yet, in this new chapter of his career, Belichick is anything but stuck in the past.
Hes adapting to college life, embracing social media, and, dare I say, having fun?
I’ve gushed over and over about the job he has done onInside The NFLthis season.
What can’t this man do?
(Besides, find a way to make AJ Hawk interesting.)
Here’s the segment in its entirety.
And he wasn’t even done yet!
Its worth noting how Belichicks philosophy on resting players extends beyond simple strategy.
So heres to Belichick 2.0: the coach, the recruiter, the Instagram influencer.
If you want to listen to the full Belichick segment from the Jim Gray podcast here’s the link -
