It’s one thing to be a great head coach when it comes to strategy and even managing egos and personalities, but when a great head coach also masters the small details that can be taken advantage of, he can rise to an even higher level.
In his 24 seasons at the helm of the New England Patriots, Bill Belichick developed a reputation as a mastermind tactician, especially on the defensive side of the football, and a story from cornerback Devin McCourty illustrates how maniacal he was about the fine details.
McCourty says that during a game in his rookie season, Belichick told him about a wind pattern that takes place at Gillette Stadium, the Patriots’ home arena, and how to take advantage of it in order to come up with interceptions.
The corner said that afterward, he never doubted anything the coach told him.
This story from Devin McCourty about meteorologist Bill Belichick is insane. 👀
(via @bykevinclark) pic.twitter.com/4a3heQQvGS
— NFL (@NFL) September 17, 2024
McCourty broke into the NFL in 2010 with New England, posting 17 passes defended, seven interceptions and three tackles for loss while making the Pro Bowl.
He became a vital part of their secondary as they ran off the second half of their Tom Brady-fueled dynasty to win three Super Bowl championships from 2014 to 2018, and he made another Pro Bowl in 2016, the year they overcame a 25-point deficit in the big game versus the Atlanta Falcons.
He decided to call it quits after the 2022 campaign, and since then, he has been an analyst for “Football Night in America,” NBC’s pregame show that airs prior to its Sunday night games each weekend.
