Washington defensive coordinator Steve Belichick didn’t leave Patriots to escape his dad’s shadow
SEATTLE — For the first time in his coaching career, Steve Belichick doesn’t share a last name with anyone on his staff.
The University of Washington defensive coordinator and son of the most successful coach in NFL history broke from the New England Patriots last offseason. Belichick could have remained on Jerod Mayo’s staff in Foxboro, but he opted for a new challenge and followed Jedd Fisch to the Pacific Northwest.
“I wasn’t eager to leave (the Patriots) or anything like that,” Belichick told on Thursday after practice at Husky Stadium. “You just keep your options open. Stuff happens. We all have different reasons for (taking different jobs), but it just felt right.”
Belichick was on Bill Belichick’s staff in New England for 12 seasons, including the 2020 campaign with Fisch. The pair remained close after Fisch took over at Arizona, and Fisch needed someone to run his defense this year when Washington hired him.
Steve Belichick liked the opportunity, so he jumped at the offer. And although he could have stayed with Mayo — like his brother, Brian, who remains the Patriots’ safeties coach — he decided the time was right to start anew.
“It kind of happened organically,” Belichick said. “It’s cool to be out here. It’s weird how it happened. Everything fell into place, and I’m pumped to be out here.
“It’s been really good. I really appreciate coach Fisch giving me the opportunity. It’s definitely different moving across the country and going to college, but at the end of the day, football is football. It’s been good. Learning a lot. I’m excited to keep it going.”
Though it might appear to be beneficial to step out of his father’s shadow in a new environment, Belichick said that wasn’t part of the equation.
“I’ve never looked at it like that, like I’m living under a shadow,” Belichick said. “I’m always going to be myself. He’s my dad. He plays an enormous role in my life — in my profession, in everything I do in life as a father, as a husband, all that stuff. I’ve never really seen it like that. I’m not like, ‘Oh, I don’t have to live in his shadow anymore.’ I’ve never thought of it like that, whether it was now or a year ago or five years ago. That hasn’t really crossed my mind.”
Of course, Bill Belichick is still helping his son — just in a different capacity from being in the same building every day. Bill Belichick has also remained close with Fisch, and they’ve exchanged ideas this season like they did when Fisch was at Arizona.
There’s probably just a little more attention on that now that Fisch is employing Steve Belichick.
“Those guys have a great relationship,” Belichick said. “He’s my dad, so he’s helping me on and off the field. His involvement is just being with people who he’s close to and stuff like that. He helped Jedd last year, and he’s helping Jedd this year. He’s got a little more time on his hands, so maybe it’s more or less (involvement). I guess you can say he’s helping me less just because I’m not in the building every day and we’re across the country from each other, but I talk to him very frequently, just like I think I would if he wasn’t a football coach.”
With Washington opening camp last week and preparing for its season opener against Weber State at the end of the month, Belichick was at work Thursday getting his defense ready. He spent a chunk of time with the defensive backs in the second half of practice going over coverage techniques against combo routes — think Malcolm Butler and Brandon Browner at the end of Super Bowl XLIX against the Seattle Seahawks — and Belichick had a couple of instances when he’d pull a player to the side for further instruction.
It’s hard not to look at Steve Belichick and see a similar gait and mannerisms as his father; their voices aren’t far off from each other, either. But Steve has a chance to distinguish himself now at Washington. And if that defense starts to perform well, it’s also hard not to think about what opportunity might come next for him in the coaching circuit.
“I’m proud of what I did in New England,” Belichick said. “So many good relationships. It was amazing. I was there for a real long time, started my family there. Now I’m here, and I’m not worried about what’s going to happen going forward. We need to have good days in camp, stack them together and go win some games.
“I never predicted I would come out here or (think) for a period of time before I got out here that I can’t wait to go someplace else. It happened, and now I’m out here. I’m not looking forward to going anyplace else. I’m looking forward to staying here and being with these guys. That’s all I’m worried about.”