It is time to inscribe the name of Bill Belichick on the list of all benevolent dictators as the New England Patriots head coach has a hidden side in his personality. The often feared coach of the Patriots believes in merit-based recognition and commendation.
According to Seth Wickersham’s new book on the New England Patriots, “It’s Better To Be Feared,” Belichick often gave hard-working coaches cash bonuses. He awarded the most diligent staff members and coaches “green balls” (which is the term used in the organization for cash rewards) that can be worth up to hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars.
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Belichick rewards the staff graciously for hard work
“Belichick would reward the coaches who made little, out of his own pocket,” Wickersham wrote. “During the season, he gave out what were called ‘green balls,’ wads of cash that could reach thousands of dollars. After the season, he would write a personal check to staffers who had over-performed – sometimes up to the six figures.”
The book goes deep into the specifics that Belichick’s work ethics were sometimes really hard to keep up with. As the book suggests that the head coach would sometimes be in his office by 4:30 am and not leave until after midnight on some nights.
Bill Belichick would give underpaid Patriots coaches wads of cash called "green balls" that would sometimes be worth up to thousands of dollars 💰
He'd also write personal checks to staffers who had overperformed, sometimes up to six figures.
(via @SethWickersham) pic.twitter.com/InNCYOS02N
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) October 27, 2021
He dedicated sometimes 19 hours in the office, which he spent watching films one after another, trying to solve some of the non-conventional questions and fetch new answers for the team.
Bill Belichick a devil in disguise
However, working for Belichick was a blessing and a curse, as pointed out by Wickersham. According to him, coaches met every evening to watch films and critically analyze every play, pointing out the mistakes of players and the coaches. They gave them a short five-minute break to grab food, and then back to the room.
Although despite all the hard work, Belichick was notorious for underpaying coaches. However, the good side of him was that he rarely fired coaches. Wickersham noted that “once you were in, you were mostly in.”
However, under Belichick’s wing, many assistant coaches flourished. Coaches like Romeo Crennel, Eric Mangini, Josh McDaniels, and Matt Patricia, all got head coaching opportunities following their success with the Patriots.
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