The Education of a Coach
Written by David Halberstam
Narrated by Eric Conger
4/5
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Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this audiobook
Bill Belichick's thirty-one years in the NFL have been marked by amazing success--most recently with the New England Patriots. In this groundbreaking book, THE EDUCATION OF A COACH, David Halberstam explores the nuances of both the game and the man behind it. He uncovers what makes Bill Belichick tick both on and off the field.
David Halberstam
David Halberstam was one of America's most distinguised journalists and historians. After graduating from Harvard in 1955, he covered the beginnings of the civil rights movement, then was sent overseas by the New York Times to report on the war in Vietnam. The author of fifteen bestsellers, including The Best and the Brightest, he won the Pulitzer Prize for his Vietnam reporting at the age of thirty. He was killed in a car accident on 23 April 2007, while on his way to an interview for what was to be his next book. The following is an extract from a tribute paid to David Halberstam at his memorial service by his colleague at the New York Times, Dexter Filkins. Like Halberstam, Filkins won the prestigious George Polk Award, for his reporting from Fallujah in 2004, and he was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in 2002 for his dispatches from Afghanistan: 'I spent much of the past four years covering the war in Iraq for the same newspaper that David worked for. I know I can I speak for all the reporters there when I say that we felt that David was always with us. And that he had gone before us... In Iraq, when the official version didn't match what we were seeing on the streets of Baghdad, all we had to do--and we did it a lot--was ask ourselves: what would Halberstam have done? And then the way was clear. We were sustained by David's example: Halberstam threatening to resign if the paper spiked his story. Halberstam calling out General Harkins. Halberstam fording the stream. But mostly it was just Halberstam telling the truth. Laying out the facts, one after the other--in those long wonderful sentences of his. David taught us a great lesson--and not just to the reporters in Iraq, but to anyone who has ever tried to hold his government to account. And that is, the truth is not just a point of view. Truth does not adhere to the person who shouts the loudest. And truth does not necessarily belong to the people with the most power. David taught us that the truth is real and that the truth is knowable--and most of all by the person on the ground who sees it up close.'
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Reviews for The Education of a Coach
120 ratings9 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I really enjoyed reading about the background and behind the scenes stories of Bill Belichick. As a life-long New England Patriots fan, the stories in this book are outstanding. It is great to hear about where he came from and how he operated with the other coaches around him. There were not quite as many stories as I would have liked dealing with the Patriots and their players, but as a coach myself, I found the information to be fascinating.
I would not recommend this to anyone who is not a fan of football and the Patriots as I could see it as being really boring. But if you have a love of the coach or the team, this is in many ways a must read. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I first read The Education of a Coach by David Halberstam in 2006 and was captivated by the life story of Bill Belichick. Belichick is truly the product of the perfect upbringing combined with hard work and intelligence. I just finished reading it again for a second time, and I got so much more out of it. I paid more attention to the various people Belichick was exposed to throughout his career. His life really demonstrates the importance of patience and surrounding yourself with successful people. Often the highest paying job is not the right path to take in life. Belichick always wanted more responsibility and exposure in his work, not necessarily more money. He also wanted to work with the best and brightest of his profession and learn as much as he could from these people.Overall, Halberstam does a great job in walking the reader through the key moments in Belichick's life that shaped who he is today. Is it an extensive biography? No. Does he provide large amounts of details in football strategy and key games? No. The goal of the book was to demonstrate how a successful coach in the modern day NFL learned his craft. In addition, it focused on key moments in his professional development that produced the man we see in front of the camera and on the sidelines every football Sunday.I highly recommend this book to football fans, Patriots fans, and anyone interested in learning about someone at the top of his profession and how he got there.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I think that this was an excellent description of a very private man. Thrown into the spotlight by being great at what he loved (coaching football) it shows why he is equal parts genius and hard worker. I love books that go into the history of an event or person to explain why something is the way it is, and this one did just that. It was definitely a book about the man, rather than a book about football.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Halberstam is a great writer; not in the vein of corporate assembly line or factory style output; but in the true sense of storytelling and conveyor of information in working man terms. He's no editor, his sentences seem to run on for lines upon lines, and his thoughts are often interjected with assumed thoughts and anecdotes. Having said that, this book was wonderful! It's a true work, from a man that excels at his craft- and it's obvious at his passion for writing.The Belichick side of this book is brilliant as well. At times, the storylines get bogged down by the sheer amount of names and dates and locations, but that is to be expected in an historical account of one mans career path.The insight into Bill Belichick is astounding and revealing. He's a man of strong character and foundations, and it shows in his successes and failures.I'm a big fan of the dealings with Belichick's personality and life views. As big a football fan as I am, I can find my football IQ fix in other areas. But for this book, and Halberstam delivered, I was more tuned in to the areas of Belichick's modus operandi, the ways in which he approached his trade, and the thoughts on networking and personnel management. I think it's important to know his off field details to be able to truly understand his on field persona and manner.Great book, a page turner for sure. I highly recommend this read, for any interested football fan who appreciates integrity, sportsmanship, morals, and a true essence of team.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Good read, though a bit thin on the football part. The book talks about his family and his upbringing to explain his personality. This information is worked into the tale. It is handled well, though is of marginal interest to me. I am interested in him as the coach of the Patriots, not what makes him tick.The part of the tale that deals with his actual football jobs is very superficial. I think that is due to Halberstam's lack of football interest/knowledge but also because Belichick still operates in the football world and can't be seen to be dishing and revealing too much.I wanted to know more from the coaches' perspective about the 2001 SB run, about the QB controversy with Bledsoe and Brady, about how the team was reportedly 'less than he thought' when he became HC. Very little of these issues were even discussed, let alone in any depth.Perhaps when he retires, there will be a more in depth book.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Loved that Halberstam didn't try to glam this up, but presented the info almost as dryly as Belichick would have himself. I wish there was more discussion of building the team, the role of other coaches, and whatever, but that's minor. An excellent read.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Okay read, very dedicate to the craft of football. Some people have drive for one particular niche and they keep at it forever. That's Bill.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5admire his leadership , authentic individual. Commitment to discipline is priority.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How did Bill Bellicheck get to be the premier football coach of all time? This book looks at his early experiences and development with other NFL teams before he became coach of the New England Patriots. Bellicheck turns out to be extremely focused, organized and an excellent evaluator of football talent. It also helps that his quarterback Tom Brady may be the best at his position for all time.
The author also looks at Bellicheck’s coaching stint with the Cleveland Browns, which was a bit rocky. He also served as the defensive coordinator of the New York Giants under Bill Parcells, not exactly an easy job or an easy mentor.
Bellicheck’s goal was not to be liked but to be respected. Given his successful coaching record in various Super Bowl wins, he has earned respect among the NFL players, fans and management. Excellent sports book about an interesting sports character. G