Bill Belichick is revamping his image after Patriots exit, claims NFL analyst: "Going through a PR makeover"
Anybody who watched Bill Belichick's historic tenure with the New England Patriots would have come out with the impression that he was not too fond of the media. Over the years, the head coach has shunned speaking to the press and has often adopted a confrontational attitude.
But now, one can see him embracing the media. Bill Belichick was present for Tom Brady's roast, he is going to be part of ManningCast going into next season, and NFL analyst Diana Russini thinks it is part of a PR move from the future Hall-of-Fame coach. Speaking to Colin Cowherd, she contextualized:
“Colin, have you ever talked to a coach after he was fired? I don’t care if you are a Hall of Fame coach or you have just a one-year stint. They are physically and mentally spent. They are a shell of themselves.
"I know so many coaches, who after about two weeks after they get fired, get horrendously sick. Like in bed, can’t move. It’s almost like the weight of everything just hits them like a ton of bricks."
She then added that with Bill Belichick taking the year off, he is trying to possibly do a public relationship makeover, or that is, at least, the chatter around the league. Russini added:
"Bill taking a year off, who knows what it can do for him in terms of his own personal growth at his age? He seems to be open to it. Now the guy who hates the media is getting in front of it. Around the league though, the conversations — there is definitely some chit-chat: ‘Look at Belichick playing the media darling role. Going through a public relations makeover.’"
She thinks that after being categorized as an old-school coach out of sync with modern times, Bill Belichick is trying to change that impression in front of the owners. She added:
"A facelift, so to speak to connect with those owners to show, ‘Look, I connect with those young people, I can be cool. I’m not just the old ball coach. I’m able to adapt.'”
Dianna Russini contrasts Bill Belichick's approach to Mike Vrabel
Both Bill Belichick and Mike Vrabel are out of jobs entering into the 2024 NFL season and they are taking different approaches to audition in front of the owners. The former Titans coach is going about trying to show he is an old-school coach, while the Patriots legend is going the other way in showing he can fit in with the times, according to Dianna Russini. The NFL analyst continued:
"And all over social media we’re seeing Mike Vrabel with the Cleveland Browns where he is a consultant right now, out on the field doing old-school hands-on coaching… So I just find it really interesting to watch the different, let’s just call them PR moves here from both these coaches who I think will both have jobs next year.”
She concluded that it is fascinating to watch and that both could be in the NFL by 2025 having taken different paths to do so.