Bill Belichick is widely considered one of the best NFL coaches to ever do it. He has six Super Bowl wins as a head coach with the New England Patriots and won two more as the defensive coordinator for the New York Giants.
If there is a postseason head coaching record, odds are Belichick has it or is very close to the top. When the future Pro Football Hall of Fame coach speaks, everyone should be listening to what he has to say.
This current offseason, the NFL has six HC openings, and there’s a good chance that one of those hires will be a first-time head coach. Belichick has advice for those coaches who get promoted to take over an entire NFL program and how to be successful.
Bill Belichick’s Tips on Being a Successful NFL Head Coach
Being the head coach is a completely different job than being a coordinator or position coach. There are several more responsibilities that go far beyond just coaching football, and much of it is learning on the job.
During this cycle, there will likely be coordinators making the move to being a head coach for the first time, and others could be getting a second chance.
Meanwhile, the former Patriots head coach joined “Inside the NFL” and gave great advice on what it takes to be successful in leading an NFL team. Specifically, Belichick mentions the added non-coaching responsibilities that are a big change from being an assistant coach where it’s all about coaching football.
“When you are a coordinator and become a head coach, it is two different jobs. There is really no training, Belichick said.
“I was fortunate that in my last few years with the [New York] Giants and [head] coach [Bill] Parcells, he included me in a lot of the decision-making, things that you are not really aware of as a coordinator. There are contracts, injuries, discipline problem, other factors like acquiring players.
“You learn those very quickly on those as a head coach, and you end up spending a lot of time on those and delegate coaching to someone else.”
There’s a lot more going on than coaching, and being organized is a key to building a successful NFL franchise.
"It's about building a program" ✍️
Coach Belichick shares his wisdom on what makes a new head coach successful. pic.twitter.com/CLivVYZp4y
— Inside the NFL (@insidetheNFL) January 9, 2025
While coaching actual football is less of the main responsibility for NFL head coaches, there is an area that can be very helpful in getting a team to be successful and winning championships.
Belichick mentions how a team’s environment and culture can greatly affect its wins and losses. Infighting and other off-the-field problems can be a distraction and limit a team’s potential.
“It is about the program. Look at Pittsburgh, the Chiefs have it in Kansas City and the Ravens in Baltimore,” he added. “Year after year, those teams kind of look the same and act the same; they compete in a similar manner and have had sustained success.”
Those teams that Belichick mentioned have all won multiple Super Bowls this century. They’ve also had little head coaching turnover with Mike Tomlin, Andy Reid, and John Harbaugh all having been at their current team for more than a decade.
When Belichick hands out free advice on what makes an NFL head coach successful, those guys better perk up and listen to what he has to say.