Bill Belichick New Show Another Chance For Coach To Become More Human

Bill Belichick, about to embark on his first NFL season since 2000 in which he is not a head coach, is going to be very busy with football anyway. And Wednesday provided another example of that.

Belichick is going to host and co-produce a new football show on the Underdog media network, according to the Underdog Fantasy media and gaming company. 

HOUSTON, TX - FEBRUARY 05: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots gives a thumbs up on the field prior to Super Bowl 51 against the Atlanta Falcons at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas.  (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Coach With Bill Belichick To Debut

The show, simply entitled 'Coach with Bill Belichick,' will air on YouTube, be hosted by Belichick, and promises to take fans into Belichick's coaching mind. It will feature Belichick breaking down NFL film and analyzing game situations.

"This show is going to give fans a comprehensive look at the behind-the-scenes of the National Football League: what it's like to coach, how to prepare, how to team build, exactly the way I would do it if I was coaching a team," Belichick said in a news release. 

"I partnered with Underdog because it’s a sports company run by sports people, and they want sports to connect to the fans, and that's what I want to do. We want to find a connection where we are giving the fans what they've asked me for -- perspective on decision-making that goes on within an organization and a breakdown of schematics and personnel within the game."

And this marks one of several platforms on which Belichick will be in your home this NFL season. 

Belichick All Over During NFL Season

He's going to be on the so-called ManningCast early each Monday Night Football game.

He's going to be on Inside The NFL alongside former players.

He's going to do a regular segment on the Pat McAfee Show.

And now, of course, his own show on Underdog Fantasy.

The dude that was adept at winning football games – he trails only Don Shula as the winningest coach in NFL history – is suddenly going to be prolific at delivering content.

And he's going to provide stuff he routinely refused to give fans (and reporters) during his time as the New England Patriots head coach: Insight. Perspective. 

Some fans familiar with Belichick's press conferences the past two dozen years may wonder, "Who is this guy?"

Well, one hopes the guy is the new Bill Belichick who carries over – at least a little bit – beyond this season when he likely lands his next gig as a football coach.

It would be to his benefit. And here's how:

Wake Up Call For Belichick Last Season

Last season, amid a disastrous 4-13 season with the Patriots, Belichick performed his duties much the way he always had the previous 23 seasons. And part of that was to be as unhelpful with insight, perspective or information during his public moments with the press as possible.

But last year should have been an eye-opener for Belichick. Because, as one New England source explained, as the losses mounted despite what was solid coaching, the reports of those losses gave Belichick no quarter. No credit.

No breaks.

Belichick, unhelpful to reporters for years and years while he was winning, got no help from those same reporters when he began losing.

At first, I'm told, Belichick seemed surprised by the treatment. Later he recognized what was happening and seemed to soften (if only a little) with the people covering his team.

Too late.

No one consistently came to his defense publicly in the press when the conversation came to whether he should be fired. Patriots owner Robert Kraft dropped the hammer on Belichick after the season.

So, now, as a somewhat reluctant member of the media, Belichick might understand that the NFL is partly a relationship business. And maybe he'll remember that when he becomes the next head coach of whatever team hires him in 2025.

Perhaps Belichick's press conferences for that fateful new team won't be punctuated with so many awkward silences, grunts and obfuscation. No, he doesn't have to provide his game plans or competitive balance information.

But maybe Belichick becomes more, well, human.

If it happens, we'll have the coach's all-out blitz in the media this year to thank.