Although not known for humor, North Carolina defensive coordinator Steve Belichick provided a humorous opinion on his father’s decision to coach in college. Returning to college from the NFL is not easy, just like the inverse. Yet, former coordinators head back to campus every year to jumpstart their careers, hoping they will work on Sundays again.
Steve Belichick Claims to Be Driving Force Behind His Father’s Decision to Coach Again
At yesterday’s press conference, viewers saw something seasoned viewers would label a rarity: A Belichick laughed while answering questions. Granted, the legendary coach is more known for his direct answers and dry responses.
However, his son, North Carolina’s defensive coordinator, stunned those in attendance with humor. When asked about his father returning to coaching, this time, at a campus, instead of an NFL team, the younger Belichick offered his tongue-in-cheek thoughts.
“I take all the credit for him being in college. That’s all for me. No, I mean, I just think that my dad loves coaching football. That’s just his passion, so this opportunity presented itself. I don’t know how it all went down, but I was just as surprised as everybody else to hear, “Hey, I’m going to North Carolina.” Okay. No, it was definitely a little interesting when that happened, but he just loves to coach football, develop players, and be around the game.”
Steve left the University of Washington, where he coached the linebackers, to join his father in Chapel Hill. For the Belichick family, the campus is intertwined with family history. His grandfather, also named Stephen, coached at North Carolina. He befriended a coach on staff named Bill Edwards. When Stephen’s wife, Jeannette, became pregnant, Edwards was the baby’s godfather. Stephen names the boy after Edwards.
Bill’s tenure in North Carolina has not gone as smoothly as expected. First, Belichick received the job offer over the objection of departing athletic director Bubba Cunningham and ultimately accepted. Then, the tumult over his girlfriend, Jordon Hudson’s alleged interference in the coach’s matters, became a national story.
For his part, Steve stays out of the way, solely focusing on the player ranked 889 in points per game (28.1). According to a media poll conducted at ACC Media Days, North Carolina was expected to finish eighth out of the conference’s 17 teams. In essence, somewhere between 5-7 and 7-5. Can the new defensive coordinator help his father lead the team to a number that exceeds expectations?
