Bill Belichick had the Patriots players on their toes during his tenure in New England. Former receiver Julian Edelman once recalled how a chance encounter with Belichick in the hallway of the football offices of Gillette Stadium would turn into an anxious session with questions like, “Who’s the opponent, what [are] his strengths?” Even his most prized asset Tom Brady admitted that the former head coach made it “pretty tough” for them daily in order to challenge them.

Belichick was meticulous about almost everything at the Patriots. From their training regimen to the intricacies of their diet, he tailored everything to each individual’s needs and their playing style. Many fans will fondly recall Tom Brady’s “avocado ice cream” that became a household thing in New England. Belichick’s dedication to preparedness all the time was a major reason why he led the franchise to six Super Bowls. This very dedication was again brought to light by former Pats safety, Devin McCourty.

McCourty played for the Pats for 13 seasons after being a first-round pick in the 2010 Draft. Spending his entire career under Belichick, he was part of three Super Bowl-winning campaigns and has always shown his admiration for his former head coach. On this occasion, the former player indulged in a light-hearted exchange while giving an insight into how demanding things would get under Belichick.

Chatting with sportscaster Dan Patrick on his eponymous show on Tuesday, McCourty spilled beans on life under the legendary Patriots coach. When Patrick asked the 37-year-old “Did you ever want to punch him(Belichick)?,” he replied with a laugh, “I mean how many times would be the question. I remember we went my rookie year, we went nine straight days of full pads in practice in training camp, can’t do that anymore. But that’s what we did (in) my rookie year in training camp. Like we were ready to go by the time the season started.”

Belichick has always been keen on being completely prepared all the time and has an overbearing focus on more than just one area. Training his players the hard way, checking their gameplan awareness, and a 24×7 focus on preparation is what eventually established the Patriots as a dominant force in the NFL.

The current UNC head coach once laid out four things he asks of his team every day in order to improve. These include: Do your job, be attentive, pay attention to details, and put the team first. Belichick revealed his leadership approach while speaking to CNBC contributor Suzy Welch in 2017.

Talking about his four building blocks of success, he said this is what “we look at every day when we walk into the building.” before adding, “Ultimately, the team has to come first even though we all have individual goals and preferences. If you pay attention, and you’re coachable and you work hard, you’ve gotta improve. That’s really what it’s about for us.”

Many of those who played under him talked about how the former Pats coach would hold them accountable, just not on the field but over how much work they were putting in mentally and physically. Brady, who thrived the most under Belichick once confessed in 2015, “I think Coach makes it pretty tough for us on a daily basis. I think he tries to really challenge us mentally to be at our best every day, so when you get put in tough situations on the field you’ve got something that you put in the bank.”

Having been fired in 1996 after going 36-44 in five seasons with the Browns, Belichick got the opportunity at Patriots in 2000 and he wasn’t going to take it for granted, and neither did he allow his players to do so. He built his coaching philosophy on a commitment to preparation, with relentless attention to detail. Comprehensive film study and opposition research, breaking down every aspect of their game became hallmarks of his coaching tenure. But his methods weren’t restricted to studying opponents and preparing his team.

He understood how weather conditions and field surfaces affected the game. Last year, it was only McCourty who recalled how Belichick went as far as learning to predict wind patterns and their effect on the proceedings on the gridiron. During the Pats’ demolition of the Jets on December 6, 2010, a rookie McCourty experienced how much game-awareness Belichick had.

He pulled McCourty and all corners to and told them how the wind pattern was going toward the open end and how it would cause the ball to drop early. Belichick then advised his players to make sure they turn around and get their heads back when they run on that side. That is how micro he went.

Putting in those hard yards did work for Devin McCourty in his rookie season as the Patriots finished first in the AFC East with a 14-2 record. While they went out to the Jets in the AFC divisional round, McCourty had an impressive debut campaign, finishing with 69 solo tackles. Next year, Belichick named him as the starter alongside Leigh Bodden and helped his team reach the Super Bowl XLVI.

Super Bowl success would follow in 2014 for McCourty and Belichick, followed by two more rings for the safety, who called it time on his playing days in 2023. McCourty remains indebted to his former coach and holds him in high regard.

During his conversation with Dan Patrick, he was asked whether he’d ever reunite with Belichick if the coach asked him to join his coaching staff. He answered, “I would ultimately think about it. And I would think about my wife killing me so. I would have to say Bill I love you and respect you so much. But coaching is just not going to be in my future.” It seems like McCourty’s wife has had enough of football.

Meanwhile, Belichick is already making waves after choosing college football coaching as his next career step. There were rumors of him joining the Jets, but Belichick opted for North Carolina, officially joining the Tar Heels on December 12. Since then, he has gone about making sweeping changes to the team both in terms of staff and players.

Bill Belichick made a major decision for Tar Heels football

As per the reports, Belichick and his crew have snagged up 13 new transfers incoming at UNC, with former UConn defensive lineman Pryce Yates being their latest addition on Tuesday. Washington linebacker Khmori House and ECU defenders CJ Mims and Gavin Gibson are other notable names that have been added to UNC since Belichick’s arrival.

In addition to this, he has also reportedly filled 10 positions on his coaching staff and support staff ahead of his debut season. His son, Steve Belichick has been appointed as the DC, while Freddie Kitchens will work as the OC under the former NFL coach. Meanwhile, the son of UNC general manager Mike Lombardi looks to set to become the quarterbacks coach.

Not only this, but Belichick has added more NFL experience to his UNC staff with former Patriots strength and conditioning coach Moses Cabrera reportedly set to join the Tar Heels. Cabrera spent 13 years under Belichick in New England.

When Belichick joined UNC, a lot of people were curious about how a coach with Super Bowl rings but zero college coaching experience would handle it. But it seems like he’s building a strong core to work with next season and it’ll be interesting to see what he does next and how he shapes things at UNC.