Brooks helped to lead the US team. To a surprising victory in the semi-final 4-3 over the Soviet Union in one of the biggest surprises in the history of American sport. The United States beat Finland for the gold medal a few days later.
Bill Belichick is known for his unique training style. So what do you have in common with an Olympic hockey coach 40 years ago? More than you think.
When Herb Brooks helped lead the United States hockey team to an epic victory over the Soviet Union at the 1980 Winter Olympics, known as the “Ice Miracle,” it did not meet the standard.
He did things his own way and knew exactly how to get the most out of his players.
Does it start to sound familiar? Jim Craig, the goalkeeper of the historic 1980 team, took the comparison one step further on Wednesday morning at the WEEI “Dale & Keefe Show”.
When asked regarding leadership, he explained what makes them so similar. “What both Herb and Bill have a lot in common is that there is only one winner.
They know. So what they do is the focus and prepare to win, not to compete against a team,” said Craig.
“That preparation for us was so revolutionary and Herb drove the change. I mean, we played 61 games in just over four months.
And we play it against the best in the world. So what he did was put us in positions of failure so we knew how to prepare to win.
As we approach as (a) team … “What Bill does really well, in my opinion, and what Herb did really well is that they don’t attribute it to him. It’s your job.
They’re getting ready. And they become your trust,” he added. Herb and Bill are the ones who prepare people so that they not only believe in what they are doing or what the coach is doing, but they also believe it. “