Patriots' Bill Belichick looks for one thing in assistants — 'little Bills'

HOUSTON – In 1975, Bill Beli-chick left Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn., with an economics degree and a piece of advice from his hero and father, Steve, who coached football at the Naval Academy for 33 years.

"My dad's advice was, 'Don't get into coaching,' " the New England Patriots coach said this week as he prepares for his seventh Super Bowl appearance as a head coach and ninth overall.

Belichick smiled. Yes, that does happen occasionally.

He smiled because that's the advice he said he passed on to his three children. His oldest son, Steve, is the Patriots' safeties coach. His youngest son, Brian, is a Patriots scout. His daughter, Amanda? She coaches women's lacrosse at Holy Cross.

In other words, Belichick's kids ignored him the way he ignored his dad when he took that economics degree straight to Baltimore, where he accepted a $25-a-week job as a gofer for Colts coach Ted Marchibroda.

Forty-two years later, the 64-year-old Belichick still hasn't taken a break from NFL coaching. Sunday, he'll try to become the first head coach to win five Super Bowls when the Patriots face the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium.

"What I've always said to my kids, or any young people who have asked me [for advice] is, 'Go follow your heart,' " Belichick said. "Do what your passion is. Don't take a job because it pays a little more money. Do what you want to do and live out your dreams."

Belichick has been an NFL head coach for 22 seasons, five in Cleveland and the past 17 in New England. If there's a common thread among the coaches and personnel people he surrounds himself with, it probably was best described by Baltimore Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome, who got his start in front office work under Belichick in Cleveland.

"What was Bill looking for in people?" Newsome said during an NFL Network documentary on the Browns' 1995 season. "Bill was looking for Bill, and he found a lot of little Bills."

Belichick lettered in football, lacrosse and squash at Wesleyan. He's in the school's hall of fame, but never was big, strong or fast enough to get a sniff of the NFL as a player.

Today, only one of his 13 position coaches and coordinators played in the NFL. Assistant special teams coach Ray Ventrone signed with the Patriots as an undrafted rookie in 2005 and played nine years with four teams as primarily a special teamer.

"I'd say the No. 1 trait he looks for is a lot of the things that he has, which is great work ethic, a lot of pride in your work, very conscientious people," said receivers coach Chad O'Shea, a Vikings assistant from 2006 to 2008. "I think the role of a coach definitely doesn't require that you play in the NFL. I think Bill has proven that through himself and this staff.

"I think I work with the best staff in the NFL. I learn from these guys daily. Working for Bill is unbelievable because his direction and his vision are so accurate that if you just follow his lead, you're going to be successful."

Belichick's 13 assistants have a combined 179 years of NFL coaching experience. They've spent 126 of those years (70.4 percent) working under Belichick.

But it's still interesting that, for example, behind Tom Brady, perhaps the greatest quarterback of all time, is offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Josh McDaniels, who played quarterback and receiver at Division III John Carroll in Cleveland.

Meanwhile, Matt Patricia, the coordinator for the league's No. 1-ranked scoring defense, was an offensive lineman at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y.

Belichick's son Steve played lacrosse for three years at Rutgers. Then he walked on with the football team as its long snapper for one year.

Cornerbacks coach Josh Boyer was a receiver/defensive back for Muskingum College in Ohio. Defensive line coach Brendan Daly, who had two stints as a Vikings assistant, played tight end at Drake.

"In my mind, the one thing Bill looks for and can spot is good football coaches. Period," Daly said. "At every spot on our staff — every spot — you have really high quality people that are really good football coaches.

"Coaching ultimately comes down to teaching. Guys that are good teachers are generally good coaches. Guys that aren't good teachers are generally not very good coaches. Whether they're a former player or not doesn't matter. We'd all want to be like Bill Belichick."