• Belichick

  • The Making of the Greatest Football Coach of All Time
  • By: Ian O'Connor
  • Narrated by: Brian Hutchison
  • Length: 21 hrs and 19 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (643 ratings)

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Belichick

By: Ian O'Connor
Narrated by: Brian Hutchison
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Publisher's summary

From a New York Times best-selling author, the definitive biography of the NFL’s most enigmatic, controversial, and yet successful coach, Bill Belichick.

Bill Belichick is perhaps the most fascinating figure in the NFL - the infamously dour face of one of the winningest franchises in sports. As head coach of the New England Patriots, he’s led the team to five Super Bowl championship trophies. In this revelatory new and robust biography, listeners will come to understand and see Belichick’s full life in football, from watching Naval Academy games as a kid with his player-scout father, to masterminding two Super Bowl-winning game plans as defensive coordinator for the Giants, and to his dramatic leap to the Patriots, where he has made history.

Veteran sports writer and award-winning author Ian O’Connor delves into the mind of the man who has earned a place among coaching legends like Lombardi, Halas, and Paul Brown, presenting sides of Belichick that have previously been unexplored. O’Connor discovers how this legendary coach shaped the people he met and worked with in ways perhaps even Belichick himself doesn’t know.

Those who follow and love pro football know Bill Belichick only as the hooded genius of the Patriots, a team shrouded in victory and controversy. But there is so much more - from the hidden tensions and deep layers to his relationship with Tom Brady, to his sometimes frosty dealings with owner Robert Kraft, and to the surprising camaraderie he shares with the team. This is a man who has many facets and, ultimately, has created a notorious football dynasty.

Based on exhaustive research and countless interviews, this audiobook circles around Belichick to tell his full story for the first time and presents an incisive portrait of a mastermind at work.

©2018 Ian O'Connor (P)2018 Recorded Books

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What listeners say about Belichick

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Revealing Portrait

I've read numerous books about Belichick. I thought I knew it all, but the author provides a lot of new information. Although the subject asked his friends and colleagues not to cooperate with the author, I found the portrait fair and balanced. O'Connor examines Belichick from all angles and introduces both his genius and his flaws. If you're a football fan and want to understand how this man thinks, you'll benefit from listening to this book.

The information about his dad's career; Bill's high school, prep school, and college football and lacrosse careers; his life's intersection with many other famous people in very different fields; and his acts of kindness to coaches are groundbreaking.

One question, though: How does the author end up with so many Belichick quotes in the book, if the coach didn't cooperate? He obviously didn't get them directly from the coach. O'Connor needs to attribute those quotes to sources (such as a magazine or other media outlet). He doesn't, and it leaves me wondering at times about the validity of the quote.

I rarely downgrade a reader - most of them at Audible are terrific - but I did so here. Brian Hutchison has a great voice and keeps the book interesting. The problem is that he and the game of football are total strangers. He absolutely butchers a number names throughout the book. I expect him to have trouble with Hoomanawanui, which he can fix by asking someone how to pronounce the name. Someone should have picked up on his mispronouncing the names of Matt Cassel (Ca-SELL), Dont'a Hightower (DAWN-tuh), George Halas (HOL-lis), and a dozen or more others. It's distracting.

Overall, this is a terrific book and a compelling listen. I highly recommend it.

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How the sausage is made!

I read the book last year when it came out and went back and listened to it this week after the Patriots beat the Rams in the Super Bowl.

It's very well written and gives you a flavor of Bill's upbringing, early coaching days and runs through this last off-season.

O'Connor goes in depth on topics like his days with the Browns, time with Bill Parcels, Spygate, Deflate Gate, Aaron Hernandez and his awkward relationship with Tom Brady and Bob Craft.

After seeing how the Pats shut down the Rams I especially wanted to listen to the Spygate parts. Bill always seemed to press the envelope here and was caught but was always able to justify the actions taken by an unclear understanding of the NFL rules. To his point when it comes to stealing signs, there are 80,000 people in the stadium that can see the guy giving signs.

I like parts of the book that humanize the man. The book discusses how different he is away from what the public sees in interviews and press conferences. He literally developed that character for handling the media and has done so in a spectacular way.

I like to read books like this to see what could be pulled out and applied to life and business. I've always been intrigued by the Patriots dominance in a year to year league where the rules are designed for parity. There is just nothing like what Bill has been able to accomplish during the last 18 seasons.

Ultimately he has a process and a system that focus's on getting the best players that can fill specific roles and fit in a certain culture. This doesn't mean getting the BEST players in the NFL. It's the best players suited for his system.

He prepares his players better than anyone. He is constantly throwing scenarios at them in meetings, practices or just passing then in the hall at the practice facility.

Overall a great read and by reading this book I've learned to appreciate the Patriots success versus hating on them for being great.



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Good Book

Very Interesting. I learned a lot about the Patriots, and the politics of The NFL

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Great book

Will recommend to friends and family. Bill is a football freak without any equals. Not s pats fan but much respect.

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magazine article...way way too long

Come on 21 hours of too much repetition WAY WAY too long...when it gets to Belichick the man he knows very little.
..I don't appreciate his cheap shots at Trump ...always made it seem like anyone for DJT was a bad guy and on the wrong side....Then he mentions the "Muslim Ban" more FAKE NEWS by the left wing media...no such thing

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Everyone has a bias

This is one of those books that is written from the authors bias. Not much new content compared to other books. It is Insulting and offensive on many levels. Just an overall disappointment.

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Belichick!

One of the best narrations I’ve listened to yet. Great insight into Belichick and the patriot way.

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True Insites

This was an amazing book. Belichick is a private person but this is really a great look into his personality. Stories of his father help to understand where the football knowledge started to develop.

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Ignacio

good insight of an incredible mindset. very neutral reading considering all the interviews of players,staff and not even one with the coach. that makes this read only more spectacular.

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Insightful!

after years of watching Belichick on the sidelines and in press conferences, I finally feel like I understand what makes him so successful.

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