From the archives: "Patriots Hire Belichick, and Everyone's Happy"

[SVN]

since there are so many hiring and firings going on right now , thought would share this which changed our team's history. For someone like me who didnt know this game until 2001 , it has some interesting info regarding the BB deal

PRO FOOTBALL; Patriots Hire Belichick, and Everyone's Happy - New York Times

the end excerpt

EXTRA POINTS

Coach BILL PARCELLS said the Jets had given the offensive coordinator CHARLIE WEIS and the defensive assistant ERIC MANGINI permission to talk to any team about any job, which means they don't necessarily have to be given promotions to be released from their contracts with the Jets. BILL BELICHICK said Thursday that he would talk to both of them about joining the Patriots' staff. . . . Linebacker MO LEWIS was added to the Pro Bowl roster yesterday.

all the people mentioned here have become part of NE history in 8 yrs...who wouldve thought

 

[Lansdowne]

Re: From the archives:" Patriots Hire Belichick, and Everyone's Happy "

The article also mentions Dom Capers, who is currently serving as the Patriots' special assistant/secondary coach.

 

[RayClay]

Re: From the archives:" Patriots Hire Belichick, and Everyone's Happy "

Coaching trees are often pretty incestuous. Remember, these guys need to spend a ton of time together. There's no sense trying to hire an all star team every assignment when familiar coaches are available.

The unusual thing about the great "trees", like Belichick/Parcells, is the quality of the talent.

BB waited a year to get a hold of Crennel, going without a DC in 2000.

Where did Romeo start the relationship?

He then became an assistant for defensive coordinator Bill Parcells and head coach Steve Sloan at Texas Tech for three seasons (1975–1977)

Romeo Crennel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

That's a lot of trust and faith in the system Belichick advanced the most in.

Why was BB so hurt by ratfink traitor Mangini? well beside both bein Wesleyan alums...

Mangini worked his way up in the NFL under the tutelage of Bill Belichick. He began his career as a ball boy with Cleveland at the age of 23, and later became an intern in the public relations. While working as a ball boy, he was often quoted as saying "no job is too small in the NFL."[citation needed] He worked 18 hours a day in the PR department, and at night he took copies of stats in the copyroom. Bill Belichick, at the time the head coach of the Cleveland Browns, found him there, and liked him so much that he asked the general manager if they had another job for him. Mangini was given the job of fetching coffee for the Browns coordinators.

Eric Mangini - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

By the way, Parcells and Weis were on the outs and Parcells was probably pissed because he testified for Belichick's contract case.

Nevertheless, he let him and BB favorite Mangini loose once the draft pick deal was done. Most of these guys try to be reasonable once the business is done. Believe it or not, they usually respect and even like each other. Holding grudges is usually bad business unless someone stabs you in the back.[/Mangini]

 

[RayClay]

Re: From the archives:" Patriots Hire Belichick, and Everyone's Happy "

The article also mentions Dom Capers, who is currently serving as the Patriots' special assistant/secondary coach.

Hard to tell how that relationship blossomed. Capers and dumb Donahoe from the Bills were the hot team that year, I believe. Obviously Kraft thought enough to interview Capers, but I believe he also interviewed elsewhere.

Please correct me if my memory is wrong on the above.

 

[SVN]

Re: From the archives:" Patriots Hire Belichick, and Everyone's Happy "

here is another interesting line

By Wednesday, Parcells was convinced that a deal could not be done, that Kraft would end up hiring someone else and that Belichick would likely be out of coaching for a year and the Jets would lose his rights with no compensation.

jets were worried they would let BB quit without compensation if pats hired someone so they brokered this deal. how funny it sounds now that the jets actually want the pats to hire bb
not to mention BB didnt even imagine until the last day that he was going to be coaching anywhere anytime soon. thats some turnaround of fate.

 

[ALP]

Re: From the archives:" Patriots Hire Belichick, and Everyone's Happy "

so, who understands why Kraft wanted Belichick so bad?

his work in cleveland wasnt bad, but wasnt astounding either...

was it b/c of his success as a D coord. w/ giants?

i didnt follow football back then either

 

[PatsDeb]

Re: From the archives:" Patriots Hire Belichick, and Everyone's Happy "

since there are so many hiring and firings going on right now , thought would share this which changed our team's history. For someone like me who didnt know this game until 2001 , it has some interesting info regarding the BB deal

PRO FOOTBALL; Patriots Hire Belichick, and Everyone's Happy - New York Times

the end excerpt

all the people mentioned here have become part of NE history in 8 yrs...who wouldve thought

Including Mo Lewis!

 

[SVN]

Re: From the archives:" Patriots Hire Belichick, and Everyone's Happy "

so, who understands why Kraft wanted Belichick so bad?

his work in cleveland wasnt bad, but wasnt astounding either...

was it b/c of his success as a D coord. w/ giants?

i didnt follow football back then either

prolly because of work as D coord of pats...iam not sure either.

 

[Hardboiled]

Re: From the archives:" Patriots Hire Belichick, and Everyone's Happy "

so, who understands why Kraft wanted Belichick so bad?

his work in cleveland wasnt bad, but wasnt astounding either...

was it b/c of his success as a D coord. w/ giants?

i didnt follow football back then either

Kraft was impressed with BB when he came to the Patriots in 1996 after his Cleveland years. Kraft saw that BB had a plan and outlook different from others. He thought that BB had the right player personnel mindset to run a football team in the current era.

“When I spent time with Bill in 1996 when he was on our staff, I found him to be someone I could relate to who I felt good about,” said Kraft. “Maybe part of it was his training in college in economics, but to be good in the business of football today — and good to me is not being good one year but try(ing) to sustain it year in and year out — you have to understand economics and you have to understand value and you have to understand the salary cap and how it works and know that if you make bad decisions, you will be penalized for (a long time), not just quarters.”

http://www.patriots.com/news/index.cfm?ac=generalnewsdetail&pid=30720&pcid=0

 

[RayClay]

Re: From the archives:" Patriots Hire Belichick, and Everyone's Happy "

so, who understands why Kraft wanted Belichick so bad?

his work in cleveland wasnt bad, but wasnt astounding either...

was it b/c of his success as a D coord. w/ giants?

i didnt follow football back then either

When Parcells was screwing around talking to the Jets, Kraft had a conversation with BB (or somesuch). He liked his personality compared to Parcells and of course BB had a reputation as the best assistant in football.

The situation was too weird with Parcells to hire him then though.

Again, correct me on the details.

Edit: props to hardboiled, I didn't know that.

[Need a source link though bro...rules you know]

 

[fnordcircle]

Re: From the archives:" Patriots Hire Belichick, and Everyone's Happy "

There was a story printed in the Globe right before Carroll got hired about a car ride Kraft took with Belichick. The implication in the column (Shaugnessey as I recall) was that the groundwork was laid for a future working operation if the opportunity arose and both men were interested. I like to think there was some truth to that story.

 

[Hardboiled]

Re: From the archives:" Patriots Hire Belichick, and Everyone's Happy "

Here is a litte more background similar to what I posted before.

__________________________________________________________
Quarterback keeper: Kraft fanning flames
By Nick Cafardo, Globe Staff, 1/31/2002

New England Patriots Forums - PatsFans.com Patriots Fan Messageboard

Kraft spoke glowingly again of Belichick, whom he first worked with in 1996. He recalled how well organized and informed he was.

''I'll never forget that he had notes on virtually every player,'' Kraft said. ''He was able to trace Chris Slade, for example, from his high school years to the present. He's a combination student-professor.''

The Patriots owner would not comment on why he didn't hire Belichick right off the bat after Bill Parcells exited from the team following the 1997 Super Bowl. While Parcells was absent on the plane ride home from New Orleans, Kraft had a chance to speak to Belichick.

''I had a long talk to him, and really, I spoke to all of the coaches,'' said Kraft.

Kraft then went on a coaching hunt, offered the job to George Seifert, who turned it down, and then settled on Pete Carroll.

Kraft said he followed Belichick's coaching when he went to the Jets and was impressed by the defensive schemes he used, especially against the Patriots. When the kinder/gentler approach of Carroll had run its course after three years, Kraft knew whom he wanted, and Belichick got the call.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This story ran on page E6 of the Boston Globe on 1/31/2002.
© Copyright 2002 Globe Newspaper Company.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Re: From the archives:" Patriots Hire Belichick, and Everyone's Happy "

I remember, also, Kraft mentioning wanting to hire BB after Parcells departure in 96. Later, as I recall, Kraft mentioned not wanting to let him get away again right after the Carroll/Grier era ended. I also remember players lobbying publicly for BB (Troy Brown being one that stands out). Funny thing is I also remember, on the AOL board, quite a few thought that would be letting the inmates run the asylum (because the players wanted him). While lacking the fanfare of the first SB victory, in hindsight hiring BB was the single greatest moment in Patriot history (imho). It was well worth multiple first round picks. Worse moment that never happened? He had stayed with the Jets!

 

[Fanfrom1960]

Re: From the archives:" Patriots Hire Belichick, and Everyone's Happy "

''I had a long talk to him, and really, I spoke to all of the coaches,'' said Kraft.

Kraft then went on a coaching hunt, offered the job to George Seifert, who turned it down, and then settled on Pete Carroll.

George Seifert! Never heard that one. Thank God Seifert decided to go fishing instead of taking the job. To me, he was just a hanger-on in San Francisco that took advantage of the end of the DeBartolo-Walsh dynasty teams. Just good enough as a coach, he might have hung around in New England and put off our whole dynasty thing.

 

[PJM]

Re: From the archives:" Patriots Hire Belichick, and Everyone's Happy "

I remember being far from happy when BB was appointed. My cousin and I spent about an hour complaining about how it showed Kraft had no real ambition and wouldn't hire another tough coach like Parcells who stood up to him. Oh well. Not the first or last time I was wrong (or so my wife tells me )

 

[signbabybrady]

Re: From the archives:" Patriots Hire Belichick, and Everyone's Happy "

Including Mo Lewis!

Yeah that is kind of an eirie precursor of things to come.


I think I have mentioned this on here before but a year ago I purchased a Mo Lewis Jersey right off the back of a Jets fan at the Pats Jets game in Meadowlands. 50 Bucks.

Note: I am one firmly in Drew's corner but that play meant so much to this franchise. Drew is my second favorite QB (if not player of all time).