The former Patriots head coach shared his thoughts on coaches vs players on the Let’s Go! podcast this week
During his appearance on the Let’s Go! podcast on SiriusXM this week, former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick shared some takes on what makes winning teams so successful. The longtime coach did not hesitate to give all the credit to the players, which might come as a surprise to some.
“Players win games. You can’t win games without good players,” Belichick said. “I don’t care who the coach is, it’s impossible.” He went on to credit some of the great players he’s coached over the years with various teams including Lawrence Taylor, Tedy Bruschi, and of course, Tom Brady, as the reason for his success as a head coach.
Jim Gray, lead host of the show, added, “They don’t name it the Starr trophy, it’s named the Lombardi Trophy.”
Belichick smiled and said, “Maybe they should name it the Brady trophy. He’s won seven of them.”
“They don’t name it the Starr Trophy. They name it the Lombardi Trophy.”
“Maybe they should name it the Brady Trophy.”
@Belichick_B & @JimGrayOfficial on always crediting players before coaches, on this week’s “Let’s Go!”
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— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) January 28, 2025
Now, I know it was said mostly in jest, but let’s get one thing straight, the Lombardi Trophy should never be renamed. This is from my totally unbiased opinion as a completely neutral third-party and just all-around NFL fan (just call me Rob Lowe**).
But in all seriousness, Vince Lombardi won 5 NFL championships in 7 years, including a 3-peat (despite the NFL wanting us to forget it ever happened) that includes the first two Super Bowls. Lombardi also has the 3rd highest winning percentage of all time, behind Guy Chamberlain and John Madden. In summary, the Lombardi Trophy already has the perfect name.
As for the coach versus player debate, the true answer is probably that neither has the biggest impact. We’ve seen great coaches across the league fall flat when given a bad roster, and great players struggle without a good coach. Finding the perfect balance between the two is where the magic happens, and sometimes, that might not even be enough.
**I’m sorry for any damage I’ve caused for bringing that game up.