Column: Belichick is the best coach of this era

It’s been three years since the NFL’s infamous “Spygate” scandal, where former New England Patriots video coordinator Matt Walsh accused Bill Belichick of coercing him into recording opponents’ hand signals and tendencies from the sidelines.

Although the Patriots have not been back to the Super Bowl since that season, they remain an annual contender and playoff team nearly every season. Yes, they have Tom Brady, who has established himself as probably the second-best quarterback in the league. They win with ageless players like Randy Moss and Kevin Faulk.

But the one piece holding this team together is the man sporting the hoodie on the sideline.

If New England did not have Belichick, the team would not have scored the all-time upset against St. Louis in Super Bowl XXXVI, they would not have won three titles in four years and would not have taken an undefeated record into Super Bowl XLII.

The very reason behind Belichick’s one-word response press conferences is why he stands alone as the greatest coach in maybe the last 20 years of professional football.

It’s not that “Captain Happy” — as he is sometimes labeled — possesses the anti-media temperament others might and probably do. It’s no secret that Belichick, an all business type of guy, feels his time on the job should be directed at one purpose: preparing to win.

Watching film, finding and taking advantage of opponents’ weaknesses and working his personnel are what Belichick feels his job should be about.

One could make the argument that without the extra hand that could have been “Spygate” for all those years, Belichick is a mediocre coach running a mediocre team. Then again, one could look at the very next week after the allegations came out in 2007 and see the 38-14 drubbing they put on San Diego in their own backyard.

We saw the Patriots let an 18-point lead in Indianapolis evaporate in the AFC Championship. Their response? Going on to win 12 of their next 16 regular season games by at least 10 points, losing only the Super Bowl on the type of catch most of us will never witness again. 

Monday night epitomized how good Belichick and his staff really are. Down 7-6 at halftime against Miami, the Patriots outscored the Dolphins 35-7 in the final two quarters with two of their second-half touchdowns coming from special teams.

When the regular season, playoffs and offseason activity are collectively taken into consideration, it’s hard to argue any other team has had more success in the free agency era than New England and Indianapolis.

It takes more than a head coach to put an organization in position to have the amount of success those two organizations have had. Credit Patriots owner Bob Kraft for giving Belichick a second chance back in 2000 after his dismal days as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns.

Look no further than Belichick’s coaching tree dating back to his time on Lake Erie. Josh McDaniels and Eric Mangini (current head coaches in the NFL), as well as Kirk Ferentz, Romeo Crennel and Charlie Weis, are only a few of the notables.

What makes Belichick the jack-of-all-trades in the business is his ability to be the best at each and every aspect of his job. Whether it’s putting together game plans on Monday or putting together a staff in the winter, “Spygate” or no “Spygate,” there is no one better in professional football.