Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Bill Belichick will go down as the greatest coach in NFL history, but some of his most important philosophies were born on the battlefield.
- New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is likely the greatest football strategist the sport has ever produced.
- While speaking as a part of the league's "NFL 100" series, Belichick explained that his coaching philosophy was based on the teachings of Sun Tzu in "The Art of War."
- Belichick broke down the sport in simple terms, saying it was key to attack weaknesses, utilize strengths, and adjust to the given situation.
- It was not the first time Belichick has credited Sun Tzu.
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Bill Belichick is a master strategist.
The changes every year - the style of play that dominates the league, the strengths and weaknesses of your specific roster, the literal definition of what constitutes a catch and constant roster turnover - make developing a dynasty a tricky task.
Belichick's genius, along with the play of quarterback Tom Brady, has led the Patriots to thrive, with nearly two decades of dominance that have seen the franchise win six Super Bowls and 17 straight seasons of at least 10 wins.
While Belichick is an unmatched football mind, he credits some of the basis to his strategy and thinking not to the sport, but to Sun Tzu's "The Art of War." NFL Network's Rich Eisen asked Belichick about his coaching philosophy while the two were taking part in the network's "NFL 100" show, discussing the top 100 in the history of the league.
Belichick explained that his philosophy came back to that of "The Art of War," and in the process, made coaching football sound much easier than it looks.
"You can go all the way back to a few hundred years B.C., Sun Tzu, 'The Art of War.' Attack weaknesses, utilize strengths and figure out what the strengths are on your team. There are some things you have to protect. Find the weaknesses of your opponent, and attack.
You can't win a war by digging a hole. You gotta attack. You have to figure out where you want to attack, how you want to attack, and that changes week to week and game to game."
You can watch Belichick's comments below.
It's not the first time Belichick has discussed Sun Tzu as an inspiration.
In 2017, Belichick told CNBC's Suzy Welch that the Patriots had one sign in the team's locker room - a quote from Sun Tzu that read: "Every battle is won before it is fought."
It's a fitting mantra for the franchise, given the team's reputation for preparedness, and ability to adjust on the fly.
- Read more:
- Tom Brady's trainer and business partner Alex Guerrero says the Patriots quarterback believes he could play until he's 46 or 47
- Bill Belichick would fly coach and put veteran players in first class, and one former Patriot said it was a huge factor in how players judge head coaches
- Bill Belichick's draft philosophy is quite simple and it shows that most teams probably overthink the process
- Bill Belichick explains how Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed once intentionally misplayed a coverage to trick Peyton Manning into throwing an interception
Perfect example of why I will never count the Patriots out of any football game with Bill Belichick being the head coach. pic.twitter.com/9T2MxzHDBT
- Kevin Rooney (@Rooney013) November 23, 2019