Super Bowl Coaches from the Parcells School

It’s ironic with all the preseason talk about how the lockout and altered practice mandates would affect the season, that the two head coaches left standing are the two most experienced curmudgeons in the game. It’s amazing, particularly in light of the fact that of the 11 new head coaches hired in the NFL in 2009, only two of them are still in control. What also links Bill Belichick and Tom Coughlin forever is their early coaching development under the great Hall of Fame finalist Bill Parcells. After next Sunday, these three men, teacher and pupils, will have accounted for seven Super Bowl victories.

What these three guys all share together is not old concepts, but teams steeped in old-school values. These are guys who construct a team with prototypical players – size and speed, toughness, but also, high football intelligence and great football work ethic. They all drive their teams beyond where they think they can go. They demand excellence from everyone in the building and the program. Each and every individual knows exactly what his job is, and is totally accountable to perform it at a championship level. They believe the fun of the game is not in the process, but in the result. The process with this breed is long and hard, the joy comes in achievement.

Tom Coughlin, who comes from the offensive side of the ball, has successfully developed an “us against the world” mentality. It has served him well as a defense mechanism against the constant scrutiny and criticism of the New York media. You get the idea that the Giants are impervious to outside distractions, or outside elements, and fear no one, or situation. It should not come as a surprise to any of us that the Giants win in any setting at any time. This is a Coughlin hardened bunch.

In Coughlin’s case, he has uniquely, while always remaining in control, surrounded himself with excellent people, and allowed them to work. In Jerry Reese, executive vice president and general manager, he has one of the elite personnel guys in the business. Reese has provided Coughlin with the talent to win. In defensive coordinator Perry Fewell, he has one of the brightest and best defensive coaches in the game. Fewell is smart, articulate, and has withstood injuries and flat spots at mid-season, and now takes a monster defense to Indianapolis.

In Kevin Gilbride, Coughlin has one of the most experienced offense coordinators in the game. Gilbride comes from the old “run and shoot” philosophy of throw it and throw it more. He knows how to stretch the field horizontally and vertically, and has quietly developed Eli Manning into an “elite” quarterback. Coughlin has emphasized the Parcells’ soundness and power game to create a balance in Gilbride’s play-calling. Make no mistake, Coughlin is the heart, soul, and hammer of the Giants, but he has learned, over time, to delegate responsibilities to good men, and has become a better leader and motivator in the process.

Belichick, like Coughlin, drives a tough and demanding ship. When I worked for him, I referred to his program as the Calvinist approach, based on the long hours, constant accountability, and eternal angst. I can’t say that the two years weren’t the most fun filled, but they were the most stimulating coaching years of my life.

With Belichick, there is no chain of command. He is the chain of command. There is no one who is as capable of dominating a program like Belichick. There is absolutely nothing in the Patriots program, from personnel, coaching decisions, to the dinner served on the airplane that does not have his stamp on it. Yes, Belichick will lean on his coaching staff for football input and expertise, but in the end they will all be in tune with the “Patriot Way.” There is no stone left unturned in preparation. What Belichick does demand is that every single man does “his job” at a championship level, and if you don’t, the unwritten implication is you won’t be there long.

Though old school in team discipline, Belichick has always been state of the art in “football design.” He was one of the first guys to adopt the college spread and fast tempo to utilize Tom Brady’s superior ability and generalship. He has adapted to a team lacking great outside threats, and has designed an inside (numbers to numbers) passing game, utilizing tight ends and slot receivers, that is second to none. Some of his defensive game plans over time remain classics.

Beyond the construction of a team, what has always impressed me the most about Belichick is his ability to compartmentalize an opponent into what they really are, and develop a practical approach to attack them. I’ve always said – “If you play Belichick and you don’t know what you do well, you will find out within the first five minutes of the game.” No one will force you to play “left-handed” better than Belichick!

I feel linked to these guys in many ways, and look forward to two guys who demand “old-school values,” who will do battle on the biggest stage in the world. Bill Parcells will be proud!