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Former New England Patriots defensive coordinator Steve Belichick is expected to become the Washington Huskies’ new defensive coordinator, a program source said. The Athletic on Sunday. Bill Belichick’s 36-year-old son called the Patriots’ defense the past four seasons. The younger Belichick has coached in New England since 2012 and worked with Jedd Fisch in 2020, when Washington’s new head coach was the Patriots’ quarterbacks coach.
The recent success of former NFL assistants as college defensive coordinators makes the hiring of Belichick intriguing. In 2023, three of the eight top-ranked defenses in FBS were coordinated by DC who came from the NFL. Michigan was ranked No. 4 under former Ravens assistant Jesse Minter. Notre Dame was No. 5 under former Bengals assistant Al Golden, and UCLA was No. 8 under former Ravens assistant D’Anton Lynn.
Much of Washington’s new staff came with Fisch from Arizona, where he had led the Wildcats to a 10-win season in his third year turning around the U of A program. The entire offensive staff (OC/O coach- line Brennan Carroll, QB coach Jimmie Dougherty, tight ends coach/special teams coordinator Jordan Paopao, running backs coach Scottie Graham and wide receivers coach Kevin Cummings) followed from Tucson as did secondary coach John Richardson. and defensive line coach Jason Kaufusi.
The addition of Belichick gives the Huskies the unique distinction of having the sons of Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick as the two UW coordinators.
The Huskies played for the national title and went 25-3 the last two years under Kalen DeBoer, but now have to replace all but two returning starters from last year’s Pac-12 champions as they advance to the Big Ten .
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(Photo: Charles LeClaire / USA Today)