Belichick to take stage at Salem State for speaker series

SALEM – New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick, known for his tight-lipped press conferences and dry personality, will make a rare public speaking appearance later this year as part of the Salem State College Speaker Series.The college announced the April 30 event titled “A Night with Head Coach Bill Belichick” Wednesday afternoon, 11 days before the coach looks to lead the undefeated Patriots to their fourth Super Bowl title in seven years.Son of the late Detroit Lions fullback and Annapolis football coach Steve Belichick, the younger Belichick lettered in football, lacrosse, and squash at Wesleyan University, and earned three letters in football while competing at center and tight end.His NFL coaching career began at age 23 when, just out of college, he accepted a staff assistant position with the Baltimore Colts in 1975. In 1976 he joined the Detroit Lions as an assistant special teams coach, and in 1978 became the assistant special teams coach and assistant to the defensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos.Belichick’s defensive coaching genius then took him to the New York Giants, the New England Patriots, and the New York Jets. In 1991, at the age of 38, he became the NFL’s youngest head coach when the struggling Cleveland Browns hired him to turn the team around. By year three, he had done just that.Belichick joins a distinguished group of guests to grace the stage as part of the SSC Speaker Series, including poet Maya Angelou, actor Christopher Reeves and former presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush.The event will take place Wednesday, April 30 at 8 p.m. in the College’s O’Keefe Athletic Center. Tickets, ranging in price from $10 for students to $65 for the general public are available by calling the Series office at 978- 542-7555 or by visiting www.salemstate.edu/series.Belichick will not be available to sign autographs during his appearance.Bank of America will once again sponsor the Speaker Series in 2008.