That's what you hear in the NFL today: this is a GM's league, coaches are less and less trusted to 'buy their own groceries.'
Teams seem less and less inclined to allow the coach also to be the GM. In a one way you have to wonder why that is. I mean who are the greatest franchises in NFL history? It comes down to the Niners of the 80s and 90s and the Patriots of the last 15 years. The Steelers are admirable as well, but I feel like the Niners and Pats stood out as having the best 'system'-with the Steelers in the 70s they had the best players.
What you notice is that both coaches-Bellichick and Walsh- had total control. You certainly can't argue with the results. From everything I understand about Bellichick much of what he accomplished was thanks to being able to choose his own personnel. He likely wouldn't even take a job where he didn't have that.
There are arguments both for and against it I know. The argument for it seems pretty compelling-why make the cook make the food with someone else's groceries? Of course, not everyone is cut out to wear both hats and some worry that this puts too much power and responsibility on one person. Again, though the results speak for themselves in San Francisco and New England.
Bill Walsh is actually a fascinating case. So much of what is done in the NFL today goes back to him-starting with the famous West Coast Offense-that Eli Manning seemed to take to as the 2014 season went on. He wrote this great book before his death that is widely seen as the Bible for NFL coaches-Bellichick says he's read it.
https://read.amazon.com/?asin=B002G54Y04
Initially what became the West Coast Offense was just something he developed to help the run challenged Bengals in the early 70s. They couldn't run as they weren't' strong enough but their QB, Virgil Carter, didn't have a strong arm. The WCO was a way for him and the team to have some success by building an offense not around the run but short passes.
This ended up revolutionizing the game. Walsh, as he says in the book, installed a whole new way of doing things in San Francisco that ultimately led to 20 years of winning.
This is why I think that when we're talking about the greatest coach ever at least in the modern Super Bowl era, it has to be between Walsh and Bellichick-who, again, both were also the GM. So why have teams gone away from this?
However, with the latest win, Bellichick goes ahead in SB wins. Realistically, he was ahead before the game and would have been ahead even if he lost. To me what constitutes true greatness is consistency and longevity. Even before this latest SB he had Walsh beat.
What makes Walsh's book so good though is he admits that he got discouraged despite how well his teams did. He had wanted to quit after the strike shortened 1982 season where the Niners went 3-6. In 1988 despite winning the SB he just felt he couldn't deal with the pressure of expectations anymore.
Still, this is where Bellichick has him beat. As far as anyone can tell, Bellichick can handle expectations. Part of it seems to be that he doesn't internalize what the pundits say. It certainly seems that it's tougher to stay on top than get to the top, but Bellichick's style, best as I can tell, seems to be that you may be on top after you win it all, but with the start of next season, that's all over. Which is true when you think about it: a SB team in the next season is on the same level as every other team-except it's worse, as they have a target on their back and if they do anything less it's a disappointment.
That Bellichick has managed to deal with this so well, makes him the best ever. Yes, he gives dishwater dull, awkward press conferences; but you can't fault success. Something he does works.
UPDATE: Again, that book of Walsh's is a real gem. He just has such a way of getting to the bottom of things. He has this great coinage: 'Success Disease' which sums up what so many champions in the NFL and other sports go through.
Teams seem less and less inclined to allow the coach also to be the GM. In a one way you have to wonder why that is. I mean who are the greatest franchises in NFL history? It comes down to the Niners of the 80s and 90s and the Patriots of the last 15 years. The Steelers are admirable as well, but I feel like the Niners and Pats stood out as having the best 'system'-with the Steelers in the 70s they had the best players.
What you notice is that both coaches-Bellichick and Walsh- had total control. You certainly can't argue with the results. From everything I understand about Bellichick much of what he accomplished was thanks to being able to choose his own personnel. He likely wouldn't even take a job where he didn't have that.
There are arguments both for and against it I know. The argument for it seems pretty compelling-why make the cook make the food with someone else's groceries? Of course, not everyone is cut out to wear both hats and some worry that this puts too much power and responsibility on one person. Again, though the results speak for themselves in San Francisco and New England.
Bill Walsh is actually a fascinating case. So much of what is done in the NFL today goes back to him-starting with the famous West Coast Offense-that Eli Manning seemed to take to as the 2014 season went on. He wrote this great book before his death that is widely seen as the Bible for NFL coaches-Bellichick says he's read it.
https://read.amazon.com/?asin=B002G54Y04
Initially what became the West Coast Offense was just something he developed to help the run challenged Bengals in the early 70s. They couldn't run as they weren't' strong enough but their QB, Virgil Carter, didn't have a strong arm. The WCO was a way for him and the team to have some success by building an offense not around the run but short passes.
This ended up revolutionizing the game. Walsh, as he says in the book, installed a whole new way of doing things in San Francisco that ultimately led to 20 years of winning.
This is why I think that when we're talking about the greatest coach ever at least in the modern Super Bowl era, it has to be between Walsh and Bellichick-who, again, both were also the GM. So why have teams gone away from this?
However, with the latest win, Bellichick goes ahead in SB wins. Realistically, he was ahead before the game and would have been ahead even if he lost. To me what constitutes true greatness is consistency and longevity. Even before this latest SB he had Walsh beat.
What makes Walsh's book so good though is he admits that he got discouraged despite how well his teams did. He had wanted to quit after the strike shortened 1982 season where the Niners went 3-6. In 1988 despite winning the SB he just felt he couldn't deal with the pressure of expectations anymore.
Still, this is where Bellichick has him beat. As far as anyone can tell, Bellichick can handle expectations. Part of it seems to be that he doesn't internalize what the pundits say. It certainly seems that it's tougher to stay on top than get to the top, but Bellichick's style, best as I can tell, seems to be that you may be on top after you win it all, but with the start of next season, that's all over. Which is true when you think about it: a SB team in the next season is on the same level as every other team-except it's worse, as they have a target on their back and if they do anything less it's a disappointment.
That Bellichick has managed to deal with this so well, makes him the best ever. Yes, he gives dishwater dull, awkward press conferences; but you can't fault success. Something he does works.
UPDATE: Again, that book of Walsh's is a real gem. He just has such a way of getting to the bottom of things. He has this great coinage: 'Success Disease' which sums up what so many champions in the NFL and other sports go through.
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