Tom Brady and Bill Belichick formed one of, if not the greatest quarterback-coach duo in NFL history. Together, they led the New England Patriots to an unprecedented six Super Bowl wins.
But it wasn’t all sunshine and roses in Foxborough. While Brady has shown nothing but praise for Belichick even after leaving the Patriots, Tom has recently admitted there was something about Bill’s coaching style he didn’t like too much.
“We all felt fortunate to play for him, and there were many benefits to his approach, but his motivational style — often based on fear — was sometimes difficult,” Brady said, via Harvard Business Review‘s Nitin Nohrin. “So as a team leader, I tried to complement that approach by being a bit more upbeat.”
This doesn’t take away from the fact Brady refers to Belichick as “the greatest coach in the history of the NFL,” but it does seem to shed more light into his decision to leave New England in 2020. Either way, Brady still appreciates everything he’s learned from his former coach.
“I like to think my style complemented coach Belichick’s,” Brady said. “I was lucky to play for a coach who was so smart, hardworking, and focused on discipline— a coach who relentlessly held people accountable for doing their job. He was fortunate to have someone like me who could recognize where the team was at emotionally, rally the troops, and pull people together.”
The complicated ending to the Brady-Belichick era in New England
Both Brady and Belichick have been very careful when talking about one another publicly, often denying rumors of friction that have constantly made headlines since the breakup.
The quarterback has always made it clear how highly he thinks of Belichick, and viceversa. Even so, Brady made a big revelation about his Patriots’ exit, suggesting he couldn’t take Belichick’s way anymore.
In fact, Patriots owner Robert Kraft admitted there was one way to keep Brady in 2020, which was to part with the head coach. So the relationship clearly became strained, and a breakup seemed to be the best for all. Though things turned out better for Brady.
While the quarterback went on to win the Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in his first year outside Foxborough, Belichick made the postseason just once after Brady’s exit. Eventually, that cost the coach his job.