(This post was updated because an earlier headline included an inaccuracy)
The rumor mill is abuzz with talk of eight-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick taking the vacant head coaching job with the North Carolina Tar Heels. The former New England Patriots coach took the 2024 season off after stepping down following 24 years at the helm, and may have gotten a taste for the college level after spending some time around Jedd Fisch and the Washington Huskies, where his son, Steve, is in his first season as the team’s defensive coordinator.
According to The Guardian’s Ollie Connolly, if Belichick does choose to take the job, his contract would include a stipulation that would make his son the program’s “head coach in waiting,” and he would presumably want to bring him along as the Tar Heels’ new defensive coordinator as well.
Steve was a splash hire by Fisch, who finished his first season in Seattle at 6-6, but significantly improved Washington’s defense, despite the Huskies being limited by injuries at defensive tackle. The younger Belichick’s secondary finished No. 5 in the nation, allowing 166.8 passing yards per game, but in the middle of the road in the Big Ten, ranking No. 9 in yards allowed at 324.8.
However, the Huskies have been rumored to be looking to invest heavily in the transfer portal, and with the right additions to the interior of the defensive line, Washington’s unit could take a significant step forward thanks to Steve’s prowess as a play caller.
“Belichick is a mastermind when it comes to playcalling,” defensive lineman Voi Tunuufi said. “He gives us the responsibility to put our futures in our own hands, being able to make the plays he wants us to make, and doing things that we have to get ourselves better.”
“Belichick has done a really nice job giving us the opportunity to play free and do what we want. He puts us in a lot of good positions for us to do the same, as you can see from me. He helps me a lot.”
After bringing his inventive scheme that he has consistently said “fits his players” to the college ranks, Washington has the potential to build one of the Big Ten’s best defenses with him at the helm. But the Huskies may need him to stick around for another season or two to get to that point.