This story was updated with new information
Bill Belichick seems to have made his first major coaching staff hire at North Carolina.
And it’s a familiar face.
According to 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz, the Tar Heels’ coaches oldest son, Washington defensive coordinator Steve Belichick, is expected to make the cross country move to Chapel Hill after the Huskies’ bowl game against Louisville on Dec. 31. Steve Belichick will serve in the same role as he did at Washington, per Zenitz.
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The hiring of Steve Belichick at UNC has long been expected within those college football, including before the Tar Heels and Bill Belichick came to an agreement on a five-year, $50 million contract to be Mack Brown’s successor.
According to a report from Oliver Connelly at The Guardian on Dec. 6, part of Bill Belichick’s negotiations with North Carolina included Steve Belichick becoming the program’s next-in-line coach after Belichick retires or leaves the program.
Steve Belichick is currently in his first season coaching at the college ranks as Jedd Fisch’s defensive coordinator at Washington. Under Steve Belichick, the Huskies’ defense improved significantly compared to the year prior, when Kalen DeBoer served as Washington’s head coach. Washington ranked 27th in the nation in total defense this year compared to 99th in 2023 per ESPN.
Washington’s defense also ranked 46th in scoring defense (22.83 points per game) and tied for 52nd in red zone defense (81%) in the regular season.
He will now be tasked with replicating that success in Chapel Hill with the Tar Heels defense, which ranked 12th in the ACC this past year in scoring defense. The news of Steve Belichick coming to UNC also comes a day after Washington linebacker transfer Khmori House committed to Bill Belichick and North Carolina.
Prior to joining Fisch’s staff, he spent 11 seasons on Bill Belichick’s staff in New England in various defensive coaching roles from 2012-2023. For his last four seasons in Foxborough, Steve Belichick served as the Patriots defensive play caller, though he did not formally hold the title of the team’s defensive coordinator.