Steve Belichick reportedly interviewing for defensive role at collegiate level

Belichick was offered a job to return to the Patriots.

As the New England Patriots have officially named their three coordinators under head coach Jerod Mayo, they will begin starting to fill out the rest of the coaching staff.

That now may not include Steve Belichick.

According to ESPN’s Field Yates, Belichick will interview for a defensive role at the University of Washington on Friday. Joining him will be Patriots running backs coach Vinnie Sunseri.

Belichick, who has been with the team since 2012, has called plays for New England’s defense the past four seasons as he served as the de facto co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach with Mayo. Despite being offered an opportunity to return — along with safeties coach Brian Belichick — the Patriots named DeMarcus Covington the team’s defensive coordinator on Thursday.

“We have a great relationship. They have the option to stay,” Mayo told WEEI last month. “I have a good relationship with both of them. They’re great coaches. We’ll see what happens.”

With Belichick potentially elsewhere, Covington would likely be promoted to defensive play caller. New England also held defensive coordinator interviews with Saints linebackers coach Michael Hodges and Panthers linebackers coach Tem Lukabu. Both could be names to now watch to join Covington’s staff in positional roles.

As for Sunseri, the 30-year old has spent the last four years coaching in New England after spending one-year as a graduate assistant under Nick Saban at Alabama. Sunseri has majority coached running backs with the Patriots despite being a former safety himself.

Both Belichick and Sunseri have familiarity with University of Washington’s new head coach Jedd Fisch, as he served as the Patriots quarterbacks coach during the 2020 season.