Getty Image / Matjia Habijak
Bill Belichick has received countless rewards and honors over the years after arguably the greatest NFL head coaching career. I’m sure he doesn’t even have room to display all of them.
But, my guess is he is going to proudly display an award he received recently. This time, it’s from his ancestral homeland, Croatia,
Here’s more from Croatiaweek.com.
Croatian President Zoran Milanović decorated William Stephen Belichick, the coach with the most trophies in the history of American football, with the Order of the Croatian Morning Star with the image of Franjo Bučar, the Office of the President said on Friday.
“The President decorated Belichick for special merits in promoting Croatia’s reputation and interests in the United States of America during an exceptional sports career over many years,” an official press release notes.
Bill Belichick is, indeed, of Croatian heritage! His paternal grandparents, Ivan and Marija, emigrated from Croatia to Western Pennsylvania in the 1890s. That area of the country saw plenty of southern European immigrants during the late 1800s and early 1900s.
But, you’ve got to love these kinds of awards. My guess is you probably didn’t know that Bill Belichick was Croatian until I just told you But, apparently, Croatia feels that he has promoted the reputation of the country during his career, during which he won six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots.
Croatia, a country of just under 4 million located off the coast of the Adriatic Sea, is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful countries in the world. And, they punch above their weight in sports, too. Their biggest accomplishment as a sporting nation came in 2018, when they finished as runners-up in the 2018 FIFA Men’s World Cup.
Belichick, who parted ways with the Patriots following last season, will spend this season as a television analyst, taking on a regular role on ESPN’s “Manningcast”.