Bill Belichick’s hidden playbook – the 19th century origins of ‘The Patriot Way’

Bill Belichick during his last game as head coach of the New England Patriots. Winslow Townson/Getty Images by Rich Hanley, Quinnipiac University To the New England Patriots fans enrolled in my Story of Football class at Quinnipiac University, Bill Belichick is the only Patriots coach they’ve ever known. The 71-year-old coach and team owner Robert Kraft amicably parted ways after 24 years on Jan. 11, 2024, following the end of a dreary season. Despite my students’ familiarity with the image of Belichick stalking the sidelines, the coach’s world – at least, as far as technology goes – has had little, if anything, in common with theirs. When he began coaching the Patriots in 2000, and for years afterward, Belichick seemed to ignore the digital revolution erupting around him. He’d joke about a reporter being on “Snapface,” or he’d call Facebook “Your Face.” Meanwhile, Belichick’s moments of social media virality have been rare – and usually limited to his abuse of the blue Microsoft Surface tablets NFL coaches and players use on the sidelines to study instant replays. Most of the time, though, he exudes stoicism – some might say arrogance – offering little words of value to the fans and...