Ten years ago, the New England Patriots led the Indianapolis Colts 34 to 28 late in the 4th Quarter, and it was “4th and 2.”
(even if you’re not a football fan, keep reading; the blog is short and there is a great message here 😊)
New England’s coach, Bill Belichick, decided to go for the first instead of punting.
New England’s bold gamble failed and Indianapolis went on to win.
Belichick’s “4th and 2” failure shocked the sports-world not only b/c it cost New England the game (that they were winning) but also b/c it was so unusual to go for a first down in that situation instead of punting.
So, did Belichick learn from that incident and punt every time he was in a similar situation thereafter?
Not on your life.
He doubled down and now “goes for the first down” more than ever.
This is just one of several examples from today’s WSJ article titled Young Coaches Aren’t Changing the NFL; Old Ones Are.
There are several very young head coaches in the NFL now, including Sean McVay of the Rams at age 33, and Kyle Shanahan of the 49ers at age 40.
Many teams are now clamoring to find their own young talent in light of the enormous success the young coaches are having.
But, the WSJ article points out that the most innovative coaches in the league are also the oldest, e.g. Belichick is 67; Kansas City’s Andy Reid is 61; and Baltimore’s John Harbaugh is a geezerly 57. 😊
These “old guys” are utterly fearless when it comes to risking it all on unheralded quarterbacks, highly unusual offensive formations, and risky play-calling.
A lot of their success comes simply from the wisdom accumulated from many long years in the trenches.
But, the biggest takeaway from the article is this:
Successful leaders in any highly competitive arena know that they have to constantly innovate and take enormous risks if they want to stay on top.
That is the real “wisdom” those coaches have cultivated with all of their experience.
And, it is a great reminder for all of us who mistakenly believe we can remain successful by continuing to do the same things year after year.
Jay Voorhees
Founder/Broker | JVM Lending
(855) 855-4491 | DRE# 01524255, NMLS# 310167
