Who Is Berj Najarian? All About Bill Belichick’s ‘Right Hand Man’ and Former Patriots Director

For Bill Belichick, the mastermind behind the New England Patriots dynasty, one man has been his secret weapon off the field. Berj Najarian, Belichick’s right-hand man for 24 years, has been the unsung hero in the Patriots’ playbook of success.

When Belichick called game-time strategies on the field, Najarian played second fiddle to him by playing interference behind the curtains. He has always been a multi-purpose player who could do anything that ranged from managing media splashes to picking out tunes for practice.

Berj Najarian is the Maestro Behind the Curtain

For 24 seasons during which Bill Belichick led the Patriots’ dominance on the field, Berj Najarian conducted an entirely different symphony off stage. This Long Island-born son of a child psychiatrist became the ultimate utility player in the Patriots’ front office. As Bob Kraft stated in a 2012 New York Times Article, Najarian was one of their “hidden weapons” – a game-changer who could make even the Dallas Cowboys’ front office green with envy.

Najarian’s playbook was as diverse as a West Coast offense. He managed Belichick’s daily huddle, ran interference with the media, and even called the audibles on practice music. Former Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe recalled, “With the Patriots, it’s an efficiency thing. Berj worried about stuff so Bill didn’t have to.” This level of trust didn’t come easy. Najarian earned his stripes with the New York Jets, impressing Belichick with his work ethic and football IQ. When Belichick infamously resigned as “HC of the NYJ” on a napkin, Najarian was one of the chosen few who made the Hail Mary pass to New England with him.

But Najarian’s most crucial play? Maintaining the Patriots’ notorious “cone of silence.” He was the gatekeeper, deciding which issues were worthy of Belichick’s attention. As one reporter put it, “You’re never going to get to Bill unless you go through Berj.” This Armenian-American became the secret sauce in the Patriots’ dynasty recipe, proving that sometimes the most valuable player never sets foot on the field.

Najarian’s game plan From Foxborough to Chestnut Hill

After calling the shots behind the scenes for the Patriots, Berj Najarian is trading in his NFL playbook for a college game plan. As the new chief of staff under Boston College head coach Bill O’Brien, Najarian is set to bring his winning formula to the Eagles’ nest. It’s a move that has BC fans wondering if they’ve just drafted their secret weapon for Saturday showdowns.

Najarian’s transition from the NFL to college football isn’t just a change of turf – it’s a whole new ball game. At BC, he’ll be tasked with replicating the “Patriot Way” in a different arena. Bill Belichick, in a rare moment of candor, said of Najarian: “We could probably talk about that for a week. He does a lot. There’s football, non-football. Scheduling. Just a lot of things I need to be aware of and logistical things that need to be taken care of.”

Also, this move would spell the end of an era for the Patriots. Foxborough will miss Najarian who has spent close to twenty-five years in New England. On Instagram, he wrote that his tenure at the Patriots “was full of special relationships, moments, triumphs, experiences, travels, lessons, and inspiration. They number in the thousands, too many to count.”

Ultimately, the transition from Gillette Stadium’s shadows to prominence at Boston College is not just another career step for Najarian; rather it is a chance to test whether “Patriot Way” can be transferred to college football gridiron. And as football enthusiasts impatiently wait for the new season one thing is clear: they may have found their own “consigliere”, with whom they may reach the sky on the wings of Najarian. As his Instagram bio reads: “2,500 years of history, culture and land are important. So is the future…” Thus Boston College’s future suddenly becomes brighter than ever!