Bill Belichick is reportedly very generous with his money.
In Seth Wickersham’s book “It’s Better To Be Feared,” it’s alleged that the New England Patriots head coach would pay coaches under the table for going above and beyond their job expectations, according to Yahoo Sports.
“Belichick would reward the coaches who made little, out of his own pocket. During the season, he gave out what were called ‘green balls,’ wads of cash that could reach thousands of dollars. After the season, he would write a personal check to staffers who had overperformed – sometimes up to the six figures.”
According to Wickersham, Belichick often works 19-hour days and isn’t shy about criticizing players and coaches alike during film sessions. Wickersham also relayed two nicknames for low-level staffers in New England: “PHDs” for “poor, hungry, and driven” and “20/20s” for young coaches making just $20,000 per year while working 20 hours per day.
Wickersham described the atmosphere in the Patriots’ building as unique to the NFL: “quiet and lifeless and focused.” As Wickersham noted, Belichick rarely fired coaches – “once you were in, you were mostly in.”
According to Wickersham, Belichick even tried to help coaches earn more, telling assistants to take one-year deals, so they had more flexibility and leverage year to year.
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It doesn’t always pay well to work for Bill Belichick, but it pays to impress him.
