Belichick: Francona A 'Great Manager'
BOSTON (CBS) - It is not even official yet, but Terry Francona's departure from the Boston Red Sox is already sparking conversation among his coaching brethren.
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick had nothing but kind words for Francona on Friday, as the two had gotten close over the years.
"Terry and I are good friends. I didn't realize that had happened," Belichick said of the move. "But great manager, I'm sure that there are a lot of people in baseball that would like to have his record, including the championships."
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Belichick has attended regular season and spring training games in the past, sitting in the dugout next to the Red Sox manager.
Belichick will miss having Francona around as another local coach in such a sports-driven area, but will make sure the two stay close.
"That's disappointing, you know, on a personal level because I like Terry," he said. "I'll certainly miss his presence in this area. I'm sure we'll be friends and still talk and see each other and so forth."
"As I said, he's certainly had a great record as the manager of the Red Sox. Whatever it was, a hundred and some years without any championships and then they win two of them. That speaks for itself right there," said Belichick.
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