Bill Belichick Has Good Sense Of Humor, And You Don't Want To Be On Wrong End Of It

What do Larry David, Jim Gaffigan and Bill Belichick have in common? They’re all a few of the best deadpan comedians of this generation, of course.

If you don’t believe us, just ask The Ringer’s Kevin Clark, who talked to some New England Patriots past and present about the infamously grumpy head coach’s sense of humor.

Apparently, Belichick uses a sarcastic approach to call out his players for their mistakes.

“Coach Belichick hit me with, ‘Foxboro High School has been getting snaps right all year,’ ” backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo told Clark. “You feel terrible. Because you realize, ‘Wow, it’s true.’ ”

Belichick recycles the ol’ Foxboro High School joke often, according to former quarterbacks Zac Robinson and Jim Miller, but he has plenty more where that came from, too. Safety Devin McCourty acknowledged his coach’s brilliant comedic timing but added it’s only funny when you’re not on the wrong end of it.

“You don’t think it’s funny if it’s happening to you, but everyone else does,” McCourty said. “Stuff like, ‘I could get my mom to come up and do that.’ ”

Most players don’t mind Belichick’s jabs because, at the end of the day, they’re meant to be teachable moments. Former Patriots fullback Heath Evans recalled a meeting where Belichick kept referring to him as Gale Sayers, and Evans eventually figured out the coach was trying to tell him to use his 250-pound frame to his advantage instead of trying to make more agile, Sayers-like juke moves.

In fact, Belichick’s humorous coaching methods stuck with Evans even today.

“I tell people he’s the funniest guy I’ve ever been around,” Evans said. “And when I say that to people, they tell me I need to get out more.”