Bill Belichick: Legacy and Lineage

[Teach]

The “Salad Days” appear over. The Super Bowl rings have lost their brilliance. Indeed, there appears to be no imminent Super Bowl appearances, let alone playoff appearances, in the offing.

Yet for long-time New England Patriots football-coach, Bill Belichick, there appear to be, on his “bucket list," two remaining quests: Legacy and Lineage.

First, legacy: Bill Belichick is 17 wins shy of tying the legendary Miami Dolphins' coach, Don Shula, for the most NFL wins (that includes the playoffs). Currently, after Sunday’s win over the Jets, Belichick has 330 wins; Don Shula finished his coaching career with 347.

Quite obviously, Belichick will not tie, let alone surpass Shula in all-time wins, at least not this season. Yet there is a chance that Belichick, if the 2024 version of the New England Patriots is a playoff contender, could be, as they say: “in the hunt.”

In continuing, I ask, “Wouldn’t that #1 in “total wins" be the “icing on the cake” when it comes time for Belichick to being inducted into “The Hall-of-Fame.”

Then, there’s lineage. You know: family tree.

I’m sure Bill Belichick, in a manner of speaking, would like nothing better than to keep "the Belichick dynasty alive," like passing the baton in a relay race.

In that light, there are currently two Belichick heirs "waiting in the wings, "Steve Belichick, linebackers coach, and Brian Belichick, safeties coach.

Yet, on this topic, there’s another genealogical chart that’s keeps coming into focus: The “Mayos.” “The Mayos of Virginia.” Jerod Mayo is the current Patriots inside linebackers coach. Mayo’s younger brother, Deron, is the assistant strength and conditioning coach.

It would appear that the stars are aligning, at least they appear to be, that one or both members of the aforementioned families may, in the future, be "at the head of the class," as to becoming the Patriots' future head-coach.

Yet as the song lyrics say, "Che Sera Sera,” "… the future's not ours to see." But it wouldn’t take metaphysical speculation to believe that this possible, call it “divine-right of coaching,” has moved beyond the planning stage. In fact, there may be more to this than we currently know.

Oh, finally, I always wondered why Matt Patricia, a long-time coach on the defense, ended up calling offensive plays. Could it have been that his presence as a defensive coordinator might have been an unwanted distraction in the overall genealogical scheme of things. Of course, admittedly, Patricia, as is Joe Judge, is a F. O.B., i.e., “Friend of Bill."

Yes, there’s little more for Bill Belichick to accomplish in his nearly half-century coaching career. Oh, I suppose another Super Bowl ring, it wouldn’t hurt. But it appears that at this stage of his life, his overriding quest is to perpetuate the Belichick family-name, i.e., “family tree, and the family’s football-coaching legacy. Will yet another Belichick fulfill that quest and, in the process, carry on the Belichick football-coaching legacy? Only time will tell.