Bill Belichick has no problem telling you what he doesn't like, and analytics still falls in that category.
The New England Patriots head coach participated in a virtual general manager summit Tuesday along with several NFL coaches and executives. According to the D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Belichick joined Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid in pooh-poohing the use of analytics.
"I'd prefer good players, good fundamentals and good execution," Belichick said.
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This isn't Belichick's first shot in his battle against analytics. When asked about advanced analytics websites back in 2016, the head coach said he's "never looked at one."
"I don’t even care to look at one. I don’t care what they say," Belichick said at the time, via Pro Football Talk. "... All the metric pages and all of that, I mean I have no idea."
And when asked in 2019 how much consideration he gives to analytics when making in-game decisions, Belichick responded, "Less than zero."
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While Belichick has no problem bashing analytics in public, his private thoughts about advanced metrics probably differ. After all, the head coach's longtime right-hand man in New England (prior to his recent retirement) was Ernie Adams, a former Wall Street trader with a knack for numbers.
Belichick also is open gaining whatever edge he can by any means necessary, so if there's any way analytics can help his team succeed, you can bet he's looked into it. As The Athletic's Mike Sando pointed out, it's more likely that Belichick dislikes all the hype around analytics than some of their more practical uses.