“It’s very simple. If you win, you’re doing well. If not, it’s not good enough.” This blunt assessment by legendary NFL coach Vince Lombardi could easily apply to Bill Belichick’s current situation. The NFL’s most decorated coach, with six Super Bowl rings, is now running a different kind of playbook involving more media appearances than defensive schemes.

NFL insider Dianna Russini today lifted the veil on Belichick’s surprising transformation. Speaking on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” Russini revealed that league chatter sees this as Belichick’s attempt to show he’s not just “the old ball coach” stuck in his ways.

“Around the league, the conversations – there’s definitely some chit-chat: ‘Look at Belichick playing the media darling role. Going through a public relations makeover,'” Russini said. She added that it’s viewed as “a facelift, so to speak, to connect with those owners to show, ‘Look, I connect with those young people, I can be cool.'”

This transformation comes after Belichick’s departure from the Patriots and his failure to secure a head coaching position for the 2024 season. The coach who once perfected the art of saying nothing in press conferences now has a media schedule busier than a playoff bracket. He’s set to join “Inside the NFL,” make appearances on the ManningCast, and even host his own YouTube show called “Coach with Bill Belichick.”

“This show is going to give fans a comprehensive look at the behind-the-scenes of the National Football League,” Belichick said in a news release. It’s a far cry from his famous “We’re on to Cincinnati” days.

Interestingly, Belichick’s media blitz comes after he reportedly turned down an offer from Kyle Shanahan to join the San Francisco 49ers staff. Shanahan revealed on “The TK Show” podcast that he even offered Belichick the defensive coordinator position. “I was like, ‘Would you be interested?’ And he was very nice and appreciative, but he politely turned me down,” Shanahan said.

While Belichick is basking in the media spotlight, his former player and coaching disciple Mike Vrabel is taking a different approach. Vrabel, now a consultant for the Cleveland Browns, has been spotted sprinting across the practice field with players and providing hands-on coaching to tight ends.

Vrabel’s hands-on approach is a different path to the top

The disparity between Belichick and Vrabel’s approaches is remarkable. While Bill Belichick tries to prove to media that he can relate with “youngsters”, Vrabel is out there on the pitch building relationships with his players. David Njoku, who plays as a tight end in the Cleveland Browns team, also spoke about his coach saying; “He’s a very hands-on guy, very old-school guy. He tries to get in my head and then I get mad and then we start going at it.”

This was not the first time when Belichick has been outwitted by Vrabel. In a 2019 AFC Wild Card game, Mike famously used one of Bill’s own tricks against him involving clock management. About which Vrabel later said: “I did not want to smirk. I didn’t. I swear to God,”

Bill Belichick, in preparation for his slot on “The Pat McAfee Show” is met with Mike Vrabel across the fields and talks to the players. The NFL is talking about one thing – the contrast of their approaches. “Now the guy that hates the media is getting in front of it.” Russini rightly mentioned that.

The media charm offensive by Belichick or Vrabel’s hands-on coaching methods will be better at securing future head coaching roles, this only time will tell. Both are playing to win in this high stakes game of NFL coaching even though they both have very different play books. According to Vrabel himself, “You can work hard and have a good time at the same time.” That lesson seems to be what Belichick is trying to learn, albeit in a rather public way.