Publishers of business books must read the sports pages sometimes. After all, they crank out all sorts of publications by coaches (Nick Saban, Dan Hurley) that promise to turn business people into winners ... and, of course, make piles of money. The subjects and principles usually are the same as books about top corporations, so it's easy enough to copy the format more or less and hope it will attract a new audience.
Coaches who appear in those sports pages (or sports websites, to be more up to date), are naturals for such books. They can cash in on their name while it's in the public eye and relatively hot, but it doesn't have to be particularly revealing. That can be saved for later on, if the potential author wants to go there.
I've only read a few of these books from coaches over the years. But when Bill Belichick came along a book called "The Art of Winning," it sounds like it might work a little better than most of the genre.
For those who have been paying attention, Belichick certainly is a candidate for the best pro football coach in history. His six Super Bowl trophies with the New England Patriots are proof of that. He also was a defensive coordinator with the New York Giants when they won two more NFL championships. So, yes, it's fair to say he might know something about winning.
Belichick also has been reluctant to reveal too much about himself over the years. We know he has developed friendships from everyone from Charles Barkley to Jon Bon Jovi, so he's not spending all of time studying game films - at least in the offseason. Early in 2024, Belichick had a rare off-year from coaching after the New England Patriots let him go. During that time he was a frequent presence in the media, and he displayed much more of his sense of humor that he did in public while coaching. Obviously he's never taken fools gladly, but there had to be more than meets the eye.
You can take a look at the chapter headings here, and get the idea of the direction the books is going. Motivation. Handling success. Preparation. Improvement. Mistakes. Communications. Adversity. Change. Culture. There are a couple of others that you might associate with a sports team such as Firing and Hiring, Roster Construction and Star Players.
As an example of content, football fans certainly will enjoy reading about Belichick's thoughts in hindsight about some of the noteworthy moments in his career. Some of his most negative words are saved for Art Modell. You might remember that the Cleveland Browns' owner decided to move his team to Baltimore in 1995. Belichick was the team's coach then, and Modell promised that he'd keep his job in the new city. But the boss changed his mind and let Belichick go, something which he probably regretted doing every single time that Belichick collected another Super Bowl trophy. It might have been a textbook example of how not to relocate a football team.
Don;t worry - there's plenty of praise sprinkled around about others. Think Tom Brady might come off well here? You'd be right. Rob Gronkowski? Ditto. Bill Parcells and Lawrence Taylor? Yup. Some of the other key players in the team's dynasty also get singled out in a bit of detail along the way.
On the minus side, Belichick is tough on himself at times. Those who know him say they aren't particularly surprised on that. The man obviously has high standards. If you are wondering about Patriots' owner Robert Kraft, um, he gets a quick thank you at the end and that's it. Feels like there's some bitterness still there about his departure.
Obligatory local note: I was also a little surprised that Belichick took a bit of a shot at, of all things, Ralph Wilson Stadium in the Buffalo area. A snowstorm after a game in December, 2010, had unexpected closed the Boston airports, and the team had to stay overnight somewhere in Western New York. "It didn't help matters that the old Ralph Wilson Stadium was a run-down relic from another era and not the kind of place where it was comfortable to loiter on a cold winter night." Gee, how did we get another 15 years out of the place? Hope he likes the new joint across the street.
"The Art of Winning" probably fits in with the rest of the sports management books pretty well, and it will give readers a taste of what the ride is like. That's fine, although big Patriots will be much more likely to enjoy this than other fans.
Three stars
Learn more about this book from Amazon.com. (As an Amazon affiliate, I earn money from qualifying purchases.)
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