For two decades, the most formidable pair in the NFL was Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. The duo terrorized the league, creating a dynasty that won six Super Bowls and almost always found itself playing deep into the playoffs.
Given that relationship, it should come as no surprise that Brady expects good things from Belichick at UNC. Brady weighed in on Belichick's landing spot during an interview Joel Klatt.
The future Hall of Fame quarterback said certain aspects of the transition could prove challenging for Belichick, but the players will develop thanks to Belichick's exhaustive preparation.
A portion of Brady's comments read:
"What [the UNC players] are gonna get is, obviously, the most prepared the most hardworking coach that I've ever been around. If you go to that school, you will be prepared to go to the next level. He's going to teach you the right fundamentals, the right techniques. He's gonna have a high expectation for you. And you're going to develop a lot. That's what I know.
"I think the challenge for him is he's dealing with a lot of probably underdeveloped players. Because he's dealt with guys that are four, five, six years further along than what's he's normally had to deal with. So, I think there's probably a learning curve for him ... I'm sure it's different coaching a 17 or 18-year-old than even a 22 or 23-year-old."
Brady added that he's not sure how much college students will be able to retain given they don't have as much time as NFL players to commit to the sport. Brady was also careful to add that he was just "hypothesizing" and does not have experience as a coach.
On the surface, that all makes sense. Brady highlighted exactly why Belichick's first season at UNC is one of college football's biggest storylines this season. You're taking the most accomplished NFL head coach of the past few decades and sticking him in a college program with 17-year-olds at a school that hasn't been all that successful in recent seasons. People want to know if Belichick still has enough magic left to turn UNC into a powerhouse, or if that challenge is too much for the 73-year-old.
It also shouldn't come as a major surprise that Brady believes in his former coach. While there were reports suggesting Brady and Belichick's relationship deteriorated toward the end of Brady's tenure with the New England Patriots, the two appear to have buried the hatchet now.
Brady and Belichick have appeared together a few times since Brady's retirement, usually for jovial occasions. Any resentment between the two seems to be firmly in the past.
That relationship has no bearing on how Belichick will perform during his first season with UNC, of course, but an endorsement from Brady has to make both current and future UNC players feel pretty good about the start of the Belichick era.
Comments