Bill Belichick has been a tough coach, though it did lead to much success, with the now-North Carolina head coach winning six Super Bowl rings during his time with the New England Patriots. Belichick was notorious for his grumpy demeanor, and during the broadcast of the Bears vs. Cowboys game, the quarterback who helped him win all those rings joked about Belichick’s coaching style.
Tom Brady was talking about Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson and his coaching style, as he was known to be tough on his own players. This was when Brady jokingly referred to Belichick as a “player-friendly” coach:
“I had such a player-friendly coach in Coach Belichick. He always told me how great I did!” he told fellow announcer Kevin Burkhardt. “You know, there was a high demand of excellence. Let’s say that. And believe me, when you’re a pro quarterback, you’d much rather have your coach be hard than easy.”
Tom Brady: “I had such a player-friendly coach in Coach Belichick. He’d always tell me how great I did. You know, there was a high demand of excellence… let’s say that.”
Brady and Kevin Burkhardt re: Ben Johnson’s intense coaching of Caleb Williams. pic.twitter.com/qnAYcrzRY6
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 21, 2025
The relationship between Belichick and Brady soured during their time with the Patriots, with Brady leaving the team for Tampa Bay. Despite this, the North Carolina Tar Heels head coach was present during Brady’s Hall of Fame ceremony at Foxborough. He even gave a heartfelt speech about the quarterback.
New England Patriots Head Coach Mike Vrabel Says Bill Belichick Is Still Welcome in Team’s Facilities
Bill Belichick’s relationship with his old team, the New England Patriots, has also soured, with him infamously banning Patriots scouts from the Tar Heels’ facilities at Chapel Hill. He explained that because the Patriots management is not welcoming him into their facilities, he is now banning them in North Carolina. However, his successor at Foxborough said that was not the case.
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel noted in a radio interview that if he were banned, he would not have been able to attend Tom Brady’s Hall of Fame ceremony.
“Bill came back for, to the best of my knowledge, [to] Tom’s ceremony,” he said. . “So I guess he’s welcomed back based on the fact he was there.
The reason he might feel unwelcome at Foxborough is his strained relationship with Patriots owner Robert Kraft, whom he has had several disputes with even before leaving the team in 2024.
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