Former New England Patriots assistant Steve Belichick is poised to join Washington as the school’s new defensive coordinator, according to sources informed 247 Sports’ Matt Zenitz.
At 36 years old, Belichick brings a wealth of experience from his 12-year stint with the Patriots, where he held various roles, including defensive assistant (2012-2015), safeties coach (2016-2018), secondary coach (2019), and outside linebacker coach (2020-2023).
Vinnie Sunseri, the Patriots’ running backs coach, also interviewed for a defensive position at Washington. Both Belichick and Sunseri previously worked with head coach Jedd Fisch during his time as the quarterbacks coach for the Patriots in the 2020 season.
Belichick, who served as the Patriots’ defensive play-caller for the past four seasons alongside new head coach Jerod Mayo, decided to explore other opportunities after his father, Bill Belichick, left the Patriots. Despite offers to join Mayo’s new staff, Belichick opted for a change when the Patriots promoted DeMarcus Convington to defensive coordinator.
Washington is undergoing significant changes, having played in the CFP Championship Game last month. Coach Kalen DeBoer departed to take on the same role at Alabama after Nick Saban’s retirement. Additionally, several starters from a Pac-12 Championship roster have graduated or entered the transfer portal, leaving the Huskies in transition.
The defensive unit at Washington, which ranked sixth in the conference, allowed an average of 24.8 points per game.
