Exploring the Bill Belichick Coaching Tree

Scribe Written on June 04, 2009

Slide 1 of 24

Some head coaches have a special knack for finding talented assistants to work on their staffs. It is these coaches who develop what we call a "coaching tree."

As more and more assistants take over their own teams, and move up in the coaching ranks, the "tree" grows. One of the largest coaching trees in the NFL today belongs to Patriots' head coach, Bill Belichick.

Belichick began his head coaching career with the Browns in 1991; since that time many of his disciples have gone on to bigger and better things. This is a tribute to the eye for talent that Belichick has not only for players, but for coaches as well.

The following examines many of the successful hirings he has made in his 14 years as a head coach.

I have broken the list down into two different categories: his years with the Browns (1991-1995) and his years with the Patriots (2000-present). For this piece there are two ways a coach will be identified as part of Belichick's tree.

Belichick either A.) Gave the coach his first job in the NFL. or B.) Gave the coach their first "big break." This usually refers to a promotion to a higher level position for the first time in the assistant's career.

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Exploring the Bill Belichick Coaching Tree

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