Have you ever seen each other in the same room at the same time? Bill Belichick is Gregg Popovich and Gregg Popovich is Bill Belichick. They are the same human beings. Here’s why:
I often hear comparisons between New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick and San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich based on their respective styles of dealing with the media. What we don’t hear is how similar their careers are in terms of development, duration, style, and success.
Let’s start with a statistical comparison of their head coaching careers. Let’s then compare their personal lives. I’m throwing out Belichick’s time in Cleveland because one of the enduring parts of this comparison is each coach’s longevity with their current franchise. The numbers are crazy and pretty much the same.
Sure, Belichick has Tom Brady and Popovich has Tim Duncan, but it’s a rotating cast that fills roles as needed without spending money on anything other than key players. And they never get off. always. Ask Deion Branch or Dennis Rodman how it works.
The systems that the two coaches have built for each franchise are better than any individual player. It’s a system learned under the guidance of some of the greatest coaches in NFL and NBA history.
Belichick’s first coaching job was given to him by Ted Marchibroda in 1975, and his coaching tree includes Marvin Lewis, Eric Mangini, Jim Schwartz, Lindy Infante and Ken Whisenhunt. From there, he joined the New York Giants, working under manager Ray Perkins and alongside fellow assistants Romeo Crennel and Bill Parcells.
When Perkins was fired, Parcells became the Giants’ head coach and Belichick was promoted to defensive coordinator. New York has won two Super Bowls in five years.
After four years in Cleveland, Belichick worked for Parcells again, this time in New England, where they ultimately lost to the Packers in Super Bowl XXXI. Belichick eventually followed Parcells to join the Jets as an assistant before being hired by the Patriots.
Popovich’s journey from assistant coach to head coach has been similarly star-studded. After developing a friendship with University of Kansas coach Larry Brown, Popovich joined Brown’s staff when he was named head coach of the Spurs in 1987, where he remained until 1992. He coached with notable coaches such as Alvin Gentry and Ed Manning, the father of stud NBA player Danny Manning.
In 1992, he joined the Golden State Warriors as an assistant to NBA Hall of Fame coach Don Nelson during the heyday of the “Run TMC” era. In 1994, “Pop” returned to the Spurs as the team’s GM.
Fifteen games into the 1996-97 season, he fired coach Bob Hill and hired himself as manager. The Spurs went 20-62 that season (Popovich’s only sub-.500 season), secured the top pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, drafted Tim Duncan, and the rest is history.
Belichick was hired by New England in 2000. Since then, 31 other NFL teams have hired more than 140 coaches. Popovich is the longest-serving coach among the four major professional sports.
Belichick’s Patriots have won 10 or more games in 15 consecutive seasons and made the playoffs in 15 of 18 seasons, making the playoffs only in 2000 (his first season), 2002 and 2008. Popovich’s Spurs teams have won at least 50 games in 18 consecutive seasons, an NBA record, and have made the playoffs for 21 consecutive seasons.
Are they the same person? Well, we’ve never seen La Toya and Michael in the same room at the same time. The similarities, both personally and professionally, are striking.
This leads to:
Belichick and Popovich are three years apart. Both are from Croatia. Both have military training, and Popovich actually served in the U.S. Air Force. Both played their chosen sport in college.
At heart, they are truly old-fashioned, emphasizing team performance over individual accomplishments, even going so far as to avoid praise heaped upon themselves.
What kind of conversations does Belichick have with Parcells at this stage of his career? What does Popovich talk about with Larry Brown? Both Parcells and Brown have achieved rare success in their coaching careers, but they have been overshadowed by their former students. What is that exchange like?
Invariably, new successful coaches and potential coaches will emerge from Belichick and Popovich’s coaching tree. But will they be able to defeat their master? Are they setting the bar so high that it is unattainable?
Is Bill Belichick the greatest coach in NFL history? Is Gregg Popovich the greatest coach in NBA history?
Finkle is Einhorn and Einhorn is Finkle. Bill Belichick is Gregg Popovich and Gregg Popovich is Bill Belichick.
More Patriots and Spurs content for you:
- Matt Bonner Haircut: Why is Vincent Van Gogh holding a basketball?
- Patriot Place Hall is the best place
- 2007 Patriots: DE Jarvis Green Talks Manning, How Perfect Season Slipped Through His Fingers.
- Patriots Jerod Mayo is trying to end the “overspray epidemic.”
- Consider: David “The Commodore” Robinson’s 71-point game.
(tagsTotranslation)Basketball
