Patriots head coach Bill Belichick had high praise for Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz at Super Bowl Opening Night.
Schwartz, who has completely revamped the Eagles defense in just his second season with the team, is highly regarded around the league, so it wasn’t a huge shock that Belichick had some positive things to say about him. What was surprising, though, is what the Patriots head coach revealed. Belichick told reporters he once tried to hire Schwartz on his staff in 2001, shortly after he joined the Patriots, but Titans head coach Jeff Fisher had already promoted him from linebackers coach to the team’s defensive coordinator instead.
Belichick also had some other positive thoughts on Schwartz, which he shared on Monday.
“I can’t say enough good things about Jim Schwartz,” Belichick said, via NFL Network’s Chris Wesseling. “He’s one of the smartest people I know. … He’s a really talented person. Look, I couldn’t say a bad thing about Jim Schwartz.”
Belichick also went on to speak about Schwartz’s career achievements, and what he specifically excels in.
“But he did a good job in Detroit,” Belichick added. “He did a good job in Buffalo, and he’s a good, good football coach. He started off in personnel, so he has a good understanding of player personnel, player development, those kind of things. I have a ton of respect for Schwartzy, he’s one of the best guys I’ve worked with.”
It’s scary to think how good the Patriots could’ve been with Schwartz at Belichick’s side on the sideline over the years, especially given how many star players New England has had on its defenses during that time. Schwartz and Belichick worked together on the Browns coaching staff over two decades ago, but it really would have been interesting if they had reunited in New England.
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