For the second time in a month, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick visited the Buckeyes football team.
On Thursday, Ohio State held its 86th annual coaching clinic, allowing coaches from all levels to come and listen to other high-profile coaches. The clinics’ headliner was five-time Super Bowl champion Belichick.
After being introduced by OSU coach Urban Meyer, Belichick kicked off the event by giving advice on what he does as a head coach to ensure success for his team.
“Coordinators are head coaches on their respective side of the ball,” he said. “Position coaches are head coaches of the positions they coach.”
The reason these coaches are given independence is due to the strict path and vision Belichick lays out for those that play and coach under him.
“You have to make explicit and clear what won’t be compromised,” he said. “Make clear what won’t and will be tolerated. You know when you walk out of that facility you’ve got to be happy with what they’re trying to do for you.”
He continued to break down his advice down to those that make up most of the team; the players.
“The last two-thirds or three-fourth of your team are role players,” he said. “They are not the top players but are critical to the success of your team. We all want good, great players but in the end there’s a cap on that. It’s the bulk of the rest of the players that decide your scheme and style of play.”
The Super Bowl winning coach said that in his system he looks for players that are tough, smart, and dependable.
Belichick also touched upon preparation, which is what some consider to be what he is best known for. He looks at every single practice, walkthrough or film sessions as an opportunity to improve.
“Performing well under pressure is what it’s all about,” he said. “What we try to do is be more demanding in practice on every level. For example, crowd noise is going to be much harder in practice than would be in a game.”
Throughout his speech Belichick was different than what is typically seen during his press conferences. He was opening up about his strategies and elaborated on the claims and statements he would make. He even made a few jokes here and there, getting a group of hundreds to laugh with him.
The clinic followed with defense and offensive coaches separating to listen to chalk talk from OSU offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson and defensive line coach Larry Johnson, who dissected Xs and Os on their respective side of the ball.
During Wilson’s speech, he gave talked about his methodology for creating a fast-paced offense.
“Consider calling (offensive scheme) something else if you can go faster with it,” he said. “The more you have to tell and say, the slower you go. The more you have to make your players think, the slower you go.”
The coaching clinic will continue on Friday starting at noon. Fridays lineup includes Meyer, OSU defensive coordinator Greg Schiano, OSU offensive line coach Greg Studrawa and Hall of Fame coach Lou Holtz.
