Bill Belichick Doesn't Bother With Analytics, Either
By Matt Dolloff
BOSTON (CBS) -- Bill Belichick is undoubtedly an old-school kind of head coach. He learned the game of football by reading every book he could get his hands on and physically working with teams and players. He's literally seen a lot in his decades of scouting and analyzing players, and he didn't do it by staring at a sheet of numbers.
So it's no surprise that, along with social media and newfangled technology in general, Belichick is not a fan of advanced analytics, either.
"That's not really a big thing with me," he told reporters at his Wednesday press conference when asked about advanced analytics, which have played a significant role in modern scouting methods across all sports. He added that they can go to MIT's annual Sloan Sports Conference to "get your fill of it."
The aforementioned conference gave Belichick a lifetime achievement award in 2013, ironically for his unconventional coaching decisions that go against the probability and analytics behind them. Belichick said this as part of an acceptance speech via remote video message: "I certainly respect the mathematical and statistical ways of looking at the game and trying to use those methods and results to improve our product on the field."
Belichick called Sloan the "Northeastern Analytics Conference." It's hard to believe Mr. SnapFace didn't know the real name of the conference that gave him a lifetime achievement award, but that's beside the point. Belichick may "respect" some aspects of statistics, but ultimately it's just a side tool to his biggest analytical assets: his brain and his eyeballs.
Belichick mostly scouts players the "old-fashioned" way: he watches them on film. Typically with his eyes. He sees their tendencies and abilities with no need for numbers on a spreadsheet. Even the best analytics experts in the world would probably hold a 60-minute meeting on things that Belichick saw in a single 10-second clip.
"To me, if you can't see an 80 percent tendency, what are you looking at?" said Belichick when pressed further on the usefulness of advanced analytics to coaching. He added: "Honestly, I think an experienced coach ... if he can't see 80-20 or 90-10 [probability], I don't think that's very good."
It would be hard to believe that Belichick would simply shun any kind of advanced statistics brought to his attention. But he has spent so many years watching and studying players on film, it lends credence to his statements at today's presser. All the analytics in the world won't help you pass the eye test.
You know who may have looked too much at advanced stats? Pete Carroll. Probably miscalculated the tendencies on this play:
Belichick analyzes players, teams, and games by going on his "personal experience," which doesn't include much in the way of advanced statistics. Can't really argue with his approach.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
