Patriot Reign is a best-selling book by The Boston Globe/The New York Times sports writer Michael Holley resulting from two years he was given unprecedented access to the inner sanctums of the world champion New England Patriots football operations, as they worked to turn a season of good luck into a legitimate contender of a team. The book was published in 2004 by the William Morrow subsidiary of Harper-Collins books.
Holley spent his days tracking the behind the scenes operations in the New England Patriots organization between their first and second Super Bowl wins, sitting in on meetings, and never being asked to exclude anything. Prohibited from nothing, Holley roamed the managerial meetings and team areas normally closed to the press, and conducted in depth interviews with scouts, coaches, and other Patriots insiders, up to and including owner Robert Kraft, and his son, President of the Patriots, Jonathan Kraft.
Holley followed the team, day-to-day, from within the organization for nearly two full seasons as coach and de facto general manager Bill Belichick resumed the building of a model NFL franchise. The team's progression was interrupted by the Patriots' unexpected victory over the St Louis Rams — nicknamed "The Greatest Show on Turf" — in Super Bowl XXXVI. Shortly after the surprise victory, Holley pitched his book concept to Belichick. The idea was rubber stamped by the Krafts, and Holley took a leave of absence from his work at the Globe to immerse himself in the New England Patriots.
In February 2009, the book was cited by syndicated radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh. Limbaugh discussed the passages in the book dealing with Belichick's philosophy that he found to be instructive on his program.
Summary
Belichick's Background
The first few chapters of the work set the stage and introduce the main Patriots 'characters' and their resumes. Rather than biographical minutiae, the book focuses on matters which would be most of interest to fans. The book begins by covering the early experiences of Bill Belichick as a young coach including his tutoring under his late father, Steven Belichick, a lifelong scout and coach for the United States Naval Academy football program whom he began to help "breaking down film" and recording (analyzing upcoming opponent) plays as early as age eleven. Belichick was so skilled at film analysis that when he took a position as a graduate intern where this was his job with the Baltimore Colts, his salary was doubled after only a few weeks.
The book shifts to focus on the early coaching career of Belichick (from age 23) as he went from graduate intern to jobs as various positions coach under four different coaches in three different football organizations including Ted Marchibroda in Baltimore and Rick Forzano of the Detroit Lions.
Holley all but ignores Belichick's ten years or so with the New York Giants as defensive co-ordinator and (eventually) as assistant coach — where he established himself as an important defensive mind — only touching on those years in passing. Only cursory mentions are made throughout the book of the achievements of Belichick's defenses, and the dominating Giants' teams he helped construct..
The book goes back to when Belichick was nearly hired as the head coach of the Phoenix Cardinals in 1987 before that team moved from St Louis.
Belichick's Tenure in Cleveland
Patriot Reign addresses the era four years later when Belichick would coach the Cleveland Browns, from 1991–1995. At the time, Belichick was the youngest NFL head coach, and one considered average at the time. The media disliked Belichick's policies of restricting access to the team after they'd enjoyed years of free access. Holley relates the Cleveland press's changing views about Belichick, and that he "may be worthy of respect", as he had taken a 2-14 team to 11-5 and the AFC playoffs in just three years.
Holley covers the Browns' departure from Cleveland to Baltimore, that left Browns owner Art Modell the most hated man in Cleveland — so much so that, only a few years prior, Modell wouldn't attend the funeral of a long time friend and associate, for fear of his life.
Holley addresses mistakes that Belichick admits he made with the press, Browns' management and the eccentric owner Art Modell in his first position as head coach. This section reveals that Belichick resents the press's perception that he had been a Parcells disciple—which Belichick states is disrespectful of the other great coaches he worked under prior to working under Parcells.