The Education of a Coach | David Halberstam | Great Insight into a Very Private Man

The Education of a Coach | David Halberstam | enlightening insight into a man many love to hate

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The Education of a...

	The Education of a Coach David Halberstam, 2005 - 288 pages average customer review:based on 54 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Now in paperback, Pulitzer Prize-winner David Halberstam's bestseller takes you inside the football genius of Bill Belichick for an insightful profile in leadership With a new afterword by the authorBill Belichick's thirty-one years in the NFL have been marked by amazing success -- most recently with the New England Patriots. In this groundbreaking new book, David Halberstam explores the nuances of both the game and the man behind it. He uncovers what makes Bill Belichick tick both on and off the field.

Great Insight into a Very Private Man

I read this book several years ago, and reread it recently after reflecting on the "Spygate" drama of the past year. I found the book very insightful the second time around. David Halberstam was an incrediably gifted writer who was able to truly get into the mind of his subjects, and this book is a great example of that. He starts by offering insights into Belichick the boy, and how his formative years, watching his father working for Navy, helped mold the man who heads the New England Patriots today. It offers interesting insights into Belichick's mindset when he participates in his always vague press conferences, his secretive manner, and why he is both respect and hated by his players and his peers. Fascinating read.

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enlightening insight into a man many love to hate

The book, admittedly, leaves a lot unsaid but then it is an unfinished story. After all the accusations,both accurtate and inaccurate,the book offers an insight into the man who has accomlished so much. Those who hate the team, hate the coach,love the man, and/or love the team should read this book to gain an understanding of Belichick and the pressures of being a successful head coach in the NFL. It's interesting to read of the people behind the man both in the past and today. Looking at the run the Patriots made in 2007 and the super bowl loss, one has a greater apprecciation of the accomplishments and failures of the man who created a true "team" after reading The Education of a Caoch.

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Not Halberstam's Best

Halberstam set a very high standard for himself -- in his sports books as well as in his political books. The "Summer of 1949", for instance, was particularly well researched and written.

This book lacks the depth of "1949." There is little digging into player reactions. Instead of demonstrating character through anecdotes and understatement, Halberstam keeps hitting us over the head with his point about how great Belichick is about "breaking down film" & etc. What in the heck does that really mean? There is very little detail here.

Of course, Halberstam's worst effort would count as someone else's best work. Halberstam is at his best in describing the Parcells/Belichick relationship; the character of the great Giants' teams; any why Brady was the superior quarterback to Bledsoe. Belichick's coaching genius does come through in the description of his approach to all the super bowls. And Belechick's notion of team, building interchangeable parts, and working with the salary cap are explained quite well.

On the whole, though, we are continually told how great Belichick is without really giving much insight into his soul as a man or even as a coach.

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