Will Steve Belichick Replicate His Success at Washington with UNC?

Steve Belichick, also the son of Head Coach and eight-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick, found success during his stint at Washington, leading the charge as the defensive coordinator. The Huskies were ranked No. 28 in all of college football, right behind Miami (No. 27), SMU (No. 26) and Houston (No. 25), but placed in front of Utah (No. 29), Georgia (No. 30) and Auburn (No. 31).

Through 13 games and 838 plays, Washington allowed just 4,269 yards (5.09 yards per play), and for reference, Ohio State, which was No. 1 in the country, allowed 4,074 yards.

Coach Steve Belichick spoke about his coaching journey, referencing his mom and grandpa in the process.

"Yeah, I mean, just being around the game, being around the guys, you know, going all the way back to my grandpa, it's kind of, you know, part of the family," said Belichick during UNC's media availability on Wednesday, August 6. "My mom always told me that I could do something better with my life, but I just kind of fell in love with the game. I appreciate my mom for saying that. And, at this point, I understand a little bit what she's saying."

"But, you know, my grandpa used to say, if you love what you do, then you never work a day in your life, and especially during training camp, where it's, you know, just all football, the month of August is dedicated to football and getting ready for the football season. And, I really enjoy that. I love that, you know, it's a great time. Everything. Every other day in the year is an important day to, you know, get into the season, but this is a time where the wheels really get spinning and yeah, just really excited for the year."

UNC — Steve Belichick | Jackson McCurdy, North Carolina Tar Heels On SI

Steve Belichick and the Tar Heels' Defense

It will be a tall task for Coach Steve Belichick to replicate the defense he was able to create at Washington during his time in Chapel Hill, considering the difference in personnel at hand. But he could always incorporate similar plays and strategies to see what sticks, and then formulate a recipe that works for North Carolina.

UNC's defense features Washington transfers Thaddeus Dixon and Khmori House, Leroy Jackson, Marcus Allen and Andrew Simpson, all of whom spoke at one point during Fall Camp.

For what it's worth, the defense at this point has a lot of "knowns" rather than "unknowns" heading into the first game of the season against TCU. To replicate one of the best defenses in college football last year at a brand new school is not impossible, but it's also not easy. Nonetheless, UNC has a greater chance of finding success at stopping the other team from scoring compared to previous seasons.

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