Belichick & Pietramala - More Than Friends?

(above) John Hopkins lacrosse coach Dave Pietramala enjoys spending time with Bill Belichick

When the University of Denver faces Johns Hopkins University on Saturday, coach Tierney may have to factor in the influence of an NFL coaching legend.

Turns out that New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick is a big lacrosse fan. A new story reveals how Belichick follows the game. The Baltimore-based site Press Box Online has a story detailing the "relationship" between Belichick and Johns Hopkins lacrosse coach Dave Pietramala. In it, Pietramala and Belichick talk like a couple of giddy schoolgirls about each other.

“The first time I ever spoke with him, we spoke on the phone, and our conversation lasted almost an hour,” Pietramala said brethlessly. “All I wanted to do was talk to him about his world, about the NFL, and about the draft, the season and preparations — how they do things. Interestingly enough for me, all he wanted to hear about was what we were doing — and lacrosse, our season, the challenges we were facing, games we played. I got off the phone, and I could not have been more taken aback at what a regular guy he was.”

They finally met in person in 2006. During one of their phone conversations before the initial face-to-face, Belichick asked Pietramala whether he was going to be at the lacrosse Final Four, and understood when the Hopkins coach was unable to go with his team sitting at home after a 9-5 season.

"So what about the All-American banquet?" Belichick asked. "You know, I'm the keynote speaker.

Why don't we catch up and maybe grab something to eat?"

When Pietramala saw Belichick at the banquet, the future Canton, Ohio, resident was obviously busy … "he had everybody wanting his time." But afterward, they hopped in Pietramala's truck and headed to a hotel restaurant -- and it was as if they had been friends for years. They talked for hours, to the point that some of the dining room servers tried to shoo the pair away to close up shop for the night. 

Belichick also discusses his "relationship" with the Johns Hopkins coach.

“We have a good appreciation for each other and what we’re going through,” Belichick said. “The ups and downs as a team — no matter what sport it’s in, you still go through the same things. We talk about a lot of those things.”

“He’s been great,” Belichick said of Pietramala. “I really have a lot of respect for what he does. Just being down there during the games with him, and watching him in the locker room … watching the way he handles and prepares a team, I’ve learned a lot from that. He enjoys the practices, the film sessions, the meetings just as much as the game itself. That’s why he does such a great job with his team.”

When Belichick was an assistant with the Broncos in 1978, he played for the Denver Lacrosse Club to stay in shape.