'Absolutely sad to see him go': State's high school coaches react to Belichick's departure
The region arose with more stunning news, although not unexpected: The nearly quarter-century partnership between the Patriots and Bill Belichick was over.
Current high school football players know only of one man coaching the Pats, the man who led the team to 17 division titles, nine conference championships and six Super Bowl wins. The man who helped make – and take down – Malcolm Butler, cut Lawyer Milloy and introduced the world to “Spygate,” “Deflategate” and "28-3."
The man who paired with Tom Brady to lead the Patriots to nine Super Bowls in their 20 remarkable seasons together. The man who coached the team for 24 seasons and has amassed 333 victories in his career, 14 short of Don Shula's NFL career record.
More on Belichick: Bill Belichick by the numbers
But the state’s high school coaches know that the pre-Belichick Pats were an afterthought, the Jaguars before such a team existed. We reached out to them and it did not take long before responses, memories and emotions came piling in.
Here are their thoughts:
David Wright, Framingham
“I’m a Raiders fan, so you know how I feel about the Tuck Rule. That being said, I think all relationships have a shelf life and I think Belichick may have run up against a generational change.
“Bill Belichick is one of the greatest coaches in NFL history, his attention to detail and the way he does business is something to emulate and attempt to duplicate. The Patriots are a much weaker franchise without him.”
Ed Reilly, Abington
(Reilly is also replacing a legend, taking over for Jim Kelliher, who just retired after 50 years as head coach. Reilly was a longtime assistant under Kelliher).
"Although I still think he's the best coach in the league, you knew it was going to come to an end at some point. As a Pats Fan, just incredibly lucky to have had him for as long as we did. He did so much for the game of football in the New England area and will go down as the best to ever do it."
Scott Parseghian, Wayland
"We were spoiled for 20 years with the best QB and the best coach in the history of the game. Like everything, all good things come to an end sometime. Thank you, coach."
Andrew MacKay, Ashland
“There are too many memories. We were blessed to have him. My favorite memory was watching him celebrate wins with his father (Steve). I’m lucky enough to coach with my old man (Mark, a long-time Ashland assistant), and that moment of him with his dad will always stick with me: Sharing those moments with the people who got you there.”
James Royster, Nipmuc
“It’s kind of surreal. I was a sophomore in high school and now I have a son who just graduated high school. The ‘do your job’ mantra works on so many levels. I essentially use that with my own team now.
“It’s absolutely sad to see him go because there will always be a huge void with those big shoes to fill. There are two decades of young men who only know the Patriot Way.”
Nick Liquori, Rockland
"I’d hate to say I didn’t see it coming, but one of the biggest things I got from him & I use today, is be good at your job! DO YOUR JOB, if everybody does that, really we shouldn’t have anything to worry about."
Mark Mortarelli, Natick
“You can’t argue with his results. The Brady vs. Belichick argument is way too simple in my mind. They both complimented each other and both helped create the greatest dynasty in NFL history. Belichick was developing game plans to stop some of the greatest offenses of the era while Tom Brady was becoming Tom Brady.”
Derek Almeida, Fairhaven
“From a pure coaching perspective, he set a fine example of coaches for all levels of how you prepare and how hard work and time commitment can really pay off and lead to success.
“I have paid close attention to him as a football coach of how he leads his team and how every player understands his value. How he teaches things and how he coaches his players, you can learn a lot from the template he established.”
Zac Attaway, Hudson
“Not easy to watch a great leader go. Keeps his players humble, is straightforward and demands a TEAM-first buy in. Goes without saying his football IQ is off the charts.” (Regarding the Super Bowl win over the Falcons): “Teams can fold mid-game when facing adversity, but they kept playing/competing. That will to compete for all 4 quarters regardless of the score starts at the top.”
Bryce Guilbeault, Old Rochester
“For me, Belichick is not only the best NFL coach to live; he's the best professional sports coach ever. To be as dominant as they were for so long and to consistently play up to a high standard, it’s remarkable.
“We've been so spoiled. He was here for 24 years. How lucky we were. We’ve got a generation of kids that the expectation is every year to be competing for a championship. It’s a sad day that it’s done."
Dan Haddad, Bellingham
“Super disappointed that we’re letting the greatest coach of all time walk out the door. He deserves so much better than this outcome.”
Brandon Mendez, Old Colony
“I think locally we all bought into the ‘do your job’ philosophy. I find myself saying things along those lines on the field all the time. Just do what you have been taught to do, the best you can. I also think we might game plan a little harder and value the amount of preparation it takes to win games, hearing it every week in the Sunday press conferences. Beyond the field, I look at the expectations of players to be held to a high standard of character and ‘the Patriot way.’
"In terms of his contribution to coaching and the game, he is the best to ever do it, in the hardest time to have a dynasty in the salary cap era. We will never see anything like it. I'm a lifelong Pats fan, but will be rooting for whatever team he coaches next, too."
Christopher McDaniel of the Patriot Ledger and Laurie Lee of South Coast Today contributed to this story.
Tim Dumas is a multimedia journalist for the Daily News. He can be reached at tdumas@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @TimDumas.
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: State's high school coaches react to Bill Belichick's departure
