Bill Belichick indicates that he prefers smaller coaching staff

after Super Bowl 51 at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas.

The Patriots have been the most successful NFL franchise of the 21st century because they’ve been able to get more out of the 53 men on their roster than any other team.

When it comes to the coaching staff, however, the Patriots routinely have operated with fewer people than most other teams.

Head coach Bill Belichick said on the Paul Rabil “Suiting Up” podcast, via ESPN.com, that he would rather work with a smaller coaching staff.

“From a ‘getting everybody on the same page’ standpoint, which is critical, the fewer people you have to manage, the easier it is to get everybody on the same page,” Belichick said. “So if you’re talking to 10 people, it’s hard to get all 10 people doing the same thing or doing the right thing. Now you make that number 20, instead of 10, it’s even more difficult.”

According to Pro Football Talk, the Patriots have 15 assistant coaches while the three other teams in the AFC East all have more than 20.

The NFL is a copycat league, and Belichick’s leaner-and-meaner approach with his coaching staff might not bode well for the job security of some assistant coaches around the league.

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