Bill Belichick Spent Basically Most Of Patriots Practice Talking With This Visitor

The New England Patriots started off spring practices with a great plan. They work out new players and build a scheme for the upcoming season. Head coach Bill Belichick did his best to prepare players, but he was busy with something else in Wednesday minicamp practice. It’s interesting to note that Belichick was talking with someone at the sideline. Who was this guy? A new member of the coaching staff? A visitor?

It was Utah State defensive coordinator/safeties Ephraim Banda.

Bill Belichick and Ephraim Banda were busy during the practice

Belichick received some questions from the media heading into practice. He was wearing his Boston Celtics jersey and even said “Go Celtics”. A real fan, right? The Patriots head coach also spent time with several position groups and Joe Judge. He talked to Mac Jones, too.

That’s all. Belichick finished the day talking to Banda. We don’t really know much about their conversation. It was a one-hour conversation and we all know that practices last about two hours.

Belichick and his visitor watched the team and made some gestures during the session. After the conversation, Belichick went back to the field late in practice to check out Bailey Zappe and the third-team offense. Guess what… Banda was there, too.

Banda was safety at Incarnate Word from 2008 to 2010. He was a student assistant coach in 2011 and joined Texas as a graduate assistant coach from 2012 to 2014. In 2015, Banda was a defensive quality control coach with Mississippi State. Miami offered him a job in the following offseason. During his time with the Hurricanes, Banda was coaching safeties. He was their co-defensive coordinator for the final two seasons. Utah hired him  as their defensive coordinator and safeties coach before the 2021 season.

Banda and Belichick have been linked for quite some time. Here’s an excerpt from a 2017 Sun-Sentinel column about the pro day in Miami.

“Belichick, who was sporting a cap and flip-flops during Miami’s workout, spent a good chunk of time Wednesday speaking with Miami defensive line coach Craig Kuligowski — who coached Patriots defensive end Kony Ealy at Missouri — and Hurricanes safeties coach Ephraim Banda.”