In a ground-shaking announcement earlier this month, North Carolina hired legendary NFL coach Bill Belichick to become the team’s new head coach. The eight-time Super Bowl champion has officially entered the collegiate level. The latest news is that this ACC hire has a direct impact on the Washington Huskies out west. His son Steve Belichick will follow suit to North Carolina, taking the defensive coordinator job with the Tar Heels. The younger Belichick will take the job after Washington’s Sun Bowl appearance against Louisville on New Year’s Eve. Now, nearly one calendar year after taking over the program on Montlake, Jedd Fisch is in the market for a new defensive coordinator.
Washington DC Steve Belichick Leaves for North Carolina
Steve Belichick’s UW Defense
“It’s not like it’s my defense or anything like that. It’s our defense, it’s the UW Defense.” The younger Belichick made this point several times in the offseason at Washington. The defense being installed on Montlake was not a carbon copy of an NFL defense or his own defense. “It’s the players and the coaches working together to figure it all out,” he said back in early August. That UW Defense was initially built on unknowns. There were ten new full-time starters, a rotation of around eight defensive linemen, and several transfers.
But in the Fall, it was apparent that the players were grasping the concepts and ready to put them to use on the field. Versatility was a common theme. “You can be put in a lot of different positions,” cornerback Ephesians Prysock said during Fall camp. Sebastian Valdez also commented on Belichick’s defensive approach upfront. “With Steve, he has a great scheme. I’m always moving around, I’m not just a three-technique. I can move to the nose, I can be a 4I.” The players also routinely commented on the value of Belichick’s NFL pedigree at the college level. “[Belichick] is super smart. The experience he has from the NFL, translating it here is so helpful for us,” Valdez continued. “His scheme gives us more room to work, and gives us more flexibility to make plays.”
Steve Belichick’s Defensive Strength
The pass defense became the unit’s strength. The Husky defense finished the 2024 season as the nation’s fifth-best passing defense. It allowed an average of just 166 passing yards per game and hauled in eight interceptions. Washington averaged just five passing yards per dropback this season, which fell within the 96th percentile nationally. The group also mitigated explosive pass plays, allowing explosives just 6.4% of the time this season. Carson Bruener led the team with three interceptions, and Thaddeus Dixon had a team-high 10 pass breakups.
What’s Next For Washington?
It’s probably safe to assume Fisch did not foresee being in the market for a new defensive coordinator in year two of his tenure at Washington. But looking internally, he has a qualified option on his staff already. A great option for the next defensive coordinator is current linebackers coach Robert Bala. He joined the Husky staff this offseason after serving as the linebackers coach under Nick Saban at Alabama. Bala has defensive coordinator experience at Southern Utah in the FCS, where he coached from 2018 to 2021. This year’s starting linebackers Bruener and Alphonzo Tuputala led the team in tackles with 93 and 76, respectively.
Bala has also been instrumental in developing the younger players in his room. Bala honed in on the potential of Khmori House during Spring practice. “He’s been a bright spot for us this Spring,” Bala said in late April. “I think he’s going to have an opportunity to get on the field a lot earlier in his career.” That’s exactly what happened. House was on the field for 317 snaps this season, starting five games as a true freshman. The play of his young career was the fourth down stop at the goal line to keep USC out of the end zone and help secure a victory.
There are likely to be other coaches in the mix for the defensive coordinator position at Washington. But at first glance, Bala is a quality option for the Huskies while keeping it internal.
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