Bill Belichick is the head coach of the New England Patriots, a National Football League team. He was born in Tennessee but has made the northeast his home. Belichick graduated from Andover Wesleyan in Massachusetts and got his first football job working for the Baltimore Colts in 1975 for $25 a week. There he learned the ropes behind running an NFL football team, and gained a huge amount of experience over the next several years working varying positions for teams such as the Detroit Lions, New York Giants, and Cleveland Browns.

He met Bill Parcells while with the Giants as Defensive Assistant and later Defensive Coordinator. Although they worked closely together for a time, they later had somewhat of a falling out. Belichick found that his close ties with Parcells actually hurt his first chance at becoming head coach of the Patriots in 1997, when Parcells left after a rift with the owner Robert Kraft.

Belichick finally became head coach of the Patriots in early 2000 and had his work cut out for him to get the team in good shape. His new quarterback, Tom Brady, had great potential. However, Belichick also had a seasoned and popular veteran in Drew Bledsoe. When Bledsoe was injured during a game, Belichick put Brady in as head quarterback and Brady stepped up to the job. When Bledsoe came back off the injured list, Belichick make the fairly unpopular decision of keeping Brady in the top spot. This alienated Bledsoe, who left at the end of the season to join the Buffalo Bills.

One of the ways Belichick prepared his team for Super Bowl XXXVI against the St. Louis Rams was by working very closely with his staff to analyze and exploit any Ram weaknesses in defense and offense. He decided to target the Rams' running back, which was a very unconventional strategy. Going into the game, the Patriots were definitely considered underdogs to the popular Rams.

Belichick's strategy to stay in the game, keep it close and wait for opportunities paid off during the actual game. The Patriots made the Rams fight hard for any gains and it took an early toll on the Rams. The Patriots led in the third quarter 17-3. The Rams made a comeback in the fourth quarter, quickly tying the game. However, a field goal in the last few moments by Patriot Adam Vinatieri put them ahead and New England won the game.

The Patriots wavered in the following season; losing many early games and frustrating Coach Belichick. His staff and players were put under pressure to fix what ailed the team. Later in the season, the Patriots performed better, but it came too late to earn a place in the playoffs.

The postseason aftermath of the disappointing season is examined in the book as several players are dropped from the team. New scouting is performed and the Patriots pick up several promising players in the draft. The next season begins; and after another slow start, the Patriots begin to build momentum. There is a morale issue when Belichick cuts a popular player and the rest of the team examines job security. His unemotional, logic-based management style gets some unpopular media scrutiny, but Belichick is pushing the players hard to give their best. The team is becoming stronger and the players are playing smarter and better.

Belichick also faces his old boss, Bill Parcells, who is now the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. The rivalry between the previous assistant coach (Belichick) and head coach (Parcells) is revisited. The Patriots win the game and the old opponents make up. After several more close wins, the Patriots are again going to the Super Bowl.

The Patriots approach Super Bowl XXXVIII against the underdog Carolina Panthers with a twelve game winning streak. The Panthers are considered a clever team; and conventional wisdom predicts a low scoring game. This appears to be the case going into halftime; with the score putting the Patriots ahead 14-10. The third quarter is scoreless, but the Panthers come back in the fourth and the lead changes several times before Vinatieri kicks a field goal with nine seconds remaining to win.