Offseason Interview Series: Diaco on What He Learned from Bill Belichick

@MattSchonvisky

With the NFL playoffs in full swing when I met with head coach Bob Diaco two Friday’s ago, I had to ask about New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who was the keynote speaker at Notre Dame’s coaching clinic in 2013, when Diaco was defensive coordinator with the Irish.

As soon as I mentioned the coaching legend, the Huskies coach lit up.

“He’s an awesome guy, down to earth,” Diaco beamed. “Be true to yourself, be true to what you’re doing. The player’s will listen if they believe you’re going to move their game forward; they’ll buy into what you’re saying if they believe that you’re going to be able to help them achieve, what they want to achieve.”

Belichick spent a day and a half with the ND coaches, including Diaco, breaking down game film and coaching the coaches, on how to be better coaches.

During his press conference with the media prior to his keynote address, Belichick was asked about the ND defense, shedding some light on what he thought of the schemes and style of a unit, led by Diaco.

“I don’t really watch a lot of college football during the season,” he said, “but I see a lot of college football during February, March and April, I see a ton of college football. I watched a lot of Notre Dame’s film this spring and certainly the last couple of days. I think they’ve done a real good job defensively with Bob [Diaco], Coach Kelly and his staff.”

What does Belichick like about it?

“I think these guys are very well schooled, they’re disciplined, they play real good defense in every area,” he stressed. “They’re good fundamentally, they have good schemes, they play good on early downs, run downs, passing game, rush the passer, good situational football, good in the red area, you know, didn’t give up a lot of points this year. They played very sound and consistent, of course they have a lot of good players, but they’re well coached and I thought they did a real good job.”

Those comments are a testament to what Diaco put in place, the 3-4 scheme he learned well at Virginia under Al Groh, who coached alongside Belichick with the New York Giants under Bill Parcells.

Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports, was able to go in-depth with Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly, on what the Patriots coach was able to bring during his visit to South Bend.

[“Bill is very aware of our defense because there’s great similarities,” Kelly said. “It was a great way for him to communicate some things with us using the same nomenclature to, ‘Hey, have you thought about this?’ “

What Belichick saw was a system of sound principles but one that fell short in allowing players to use those principles to react to what they were seeing in the moments before a snap. Notre Dame’s teaching was a bit regimented.

“And that, to me, says everything you need to know about Bill Belichick,” Kelly said. “It’s not just about scheme, it’s about understanding the concept of the game and making those adjustments as the game unfolds.

“With the players, we were a little bit, ‘This is your job. Do your job.’ Instead of, ‘You can do your job.’ “

“He would watch a play and say, ‘Why didn’t your players adjust to that? Why didn’t you let your player make that adjustment? He was in a four technique, an inside shade of the tackle, and you knew it was a boot down and you knew they were going to break contain, why didn’t you let a four go to a five?’

“I thought it was a great observation. Because, that’s the game. When you’re really good at it, your quarterback is going to make that check at the line of scrimmage, or your linebacker is making that check.”]

That was not the only advice that Diaco took away from the opportunity to learn from perhaps the greatest coach in the history of the game.

“Become an expert in what you’re saying and doing and have great detail in what you’re doing and saying,” he said. “It was great to talk football with him, he’s a football genius and a very down to earth guy who’s very unassuming and not pretentious in any way. He’s just a great, great guy. A special guy,” Diaco emphasized. “I just enjoyed my time with him.”

The Huskies coach still holds on to the detailed notes he took during Belichick’s visit, but did not share what those were.

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