Bill Belichick once said he didn’t want to be like Marv Levy and coach well into his golden years. But Belichick’s perspective has changed with age. A couple of years ago, Belichick said on WEEI he was open to the possibility.
He shows no signs of slowing down now, despite his 70th birthday being only one month away. Could Belichick hang around for another decade, or even longer?
Mike Florio raises the possibility in his new book, “Playmakers.” In it, Florio says Robert Kraft once told him he wants Belichick to work well into his 80s, just like Warren Buffett (91) and Rupert Murdoch (90).
It appears Florio is referencing Kraft’s comments from a ProFootballTalk interview conducted in March 2017, when the Patriots were coming off their historic come-from-behind Super Bowl win over the Falcons. They proceeded to play in each of the next two Super Bowls, beating the Rams in Jan. 2019 for their sixth championship.
The Patriots’ fortunes have changed since then, with the team going 21-22 since Halloween 2019. Last year, Kraft took the rare step of publicly criticizing Belichick for his recent drafting record. “I don’t feel we’ve done the greatest job the last few years and I really hope, and I believe, I’ve seen a different approach this year,” Kraft remarked.
The Patriots’ 2021 draft was one of their best classes in years. The team selected Mac Jones, Christian Barmore and running back Rhamondre Stevenson.
While Belichick’s personnel approach might be more collaborative, he’s taking on more coaching responsibility as he ages. The Patriots don’t have an offensive or defensive coordinator in the wake of Josh McDaniel’s departure. They also lost three offensive assistants to McDaniels in Las Vegas.
Though last season ended poorly, it was a stark improvement over 2020. The Patriots won 10 games and got back into the playoffs, and could have their next franchise quarterback.
With that in mind, it’s fair to say Kraft, who will turn 81 in June, expects the Patriots to improve on that win total in 2022. Belichick’s performance, and not his age, may wind up being the biggest factor into whether he’s still wearing rumpled hooded sweatshirts as a geriatric.
