Bill Belichick is the unhappiest coach who ever hugged the Vince Lombardi Trophy, even if he did seem unusually cheerful when he arrived in Indianapolis. Underneath the hoodie, the New England Patriots coach is a scary figure. Even his occasional smile is creepy, like Sheldon Cooper’s in “The Big Bang Theory.”
Belichick is the best NFL coach of his generation. A fourth Super Bowl victory Sunday would tie Belichick with Pittsburgh Steelers coach Chuck Noll for the most Lombardi Trophies.
Ah, Lombardi — the gold standard of coaching. The late Green Bay Packers coach — who even lifted Washington to a winning mark in his only season with the Redskins before dying in 1970 — is the runaway leader as the best coach to stroll an NFL sideline. He was 105-35-6 in 10 seasons, a sterling .740 percentage challenged only by John Madden’s .731 at 112-39-7.
But Belichick should be a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer whenever he retires, which at age 60 is probably a few years away. Belichick’s 175 regular-season victories lead all active coaches, 18 more than runner-up Mike Shan?ahan of Washington and 34 more than Super Bowl counterpart Tom Coughlin with the New York Giants.
Indeed, a Super Bowl victory would tie Belichick with Chuck Knox’s 193 overall wins for the ninth most ever. Perhaps Belichick can muster 38 more before he retires to pass former Redskins and Packers coach Curley Lambeau for fourth, but catching Don Shula (347), George Halas (324) and Tom Landry (270) seems unlikely.
With so much success, why isn’t Belichick a beloved national figure like Phil Jackson or Red Auberbach?
Maybe it was Spygate, which exposed Belichick’s Patriots as cheaters for videotaping New York Jets coaches during a 2007 game to try to decipher their signals. The Patriots forfeited a first-round draft pick, and Belichick was fined $500,000. Unsubstantiated allegations of other taping incidents followed.
Belichick was accused by Ted Johnson of playing him despite team doctors saying the former Patriots linebacker suffered a concussion. The NFL now has strict rules regarding concussions.
But winners are forgiven their sins, and reaching his eighth Super Bowl in 25 years as a coach or assistant brands Belichick a winner even if he rarely seems to enjoy it.
It’s hard to believe Belichick started 4-16 when he took over New England in 2000. He’s second to Philadelphia’s Andy Reid in tenure with a current team. The three-time NFL coach of the year has nine AFC East titles and was less than a minute from a 19-0 season four years ago when the Patriots were beaten by the Giants in the Super Bowl.
Belichick may find a way to form a crooked smile Sunday. He will enjoy the moment for 24 hours before returning to the grind of defending a title.
One day, that awkward jubilation will enter Canton as one of the greats. Maybe then the smile will endure.
Examiner columnist Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more on Twitter @Snide_Remarks or email [email protected].
