It was really more of a coaching internship than an actual opportunity to play. Or at least, that’s how Rutgers coach Greg Schiano explained Steve Belichick’s presence on his 2011 roster.
Belichick spent four years playing lacrosse for the Scarlet Knights from 2008-11. Before his final year with Rutgers, however, Washington’s defensive coordinator walked on to Schiano’s football team as a long snapper.
He never appeared in a game for the Scarlet Knights, but Schiano said Belichick often helped the coaches break down film or do other special projects. One of Belichick’s jobs was to help ensure Schiano, the defensive play caller at the time, never made the same signal on consecutive plays.
“The first time I signaled it two times in a row with the same signal,” Schiano told reporters on Monday, “he punched me in the ribs so damn hard. I went, ‘What the heck are you doing?’ And he said, ‘You told me!’ And I said, ‘I know, you could’ve just tapped me. You don’t have to lay me out.’”
Added Belichick on Tuesday: “If he says that’s the story, then that’s the story. I’ll back him no matter what.”
Belichick, of course, went on to spend the next 12 seasons coaching with his father Bill Belichick as part of the New England Patriots organization before joining coach Jedd Fisch’s staff at Washington before the season. At 5 p.m. on Friday, Steve Belichick will lead the Huskies defense into SHI Stadium, where he’ll face his alma mater and his old mentor, Schiano.
“I learned a lot,” Belichick said. “Coach Schiano is a family-oriented guy. He’s a hard worker. He shows you love when you work hard, and he makes you tougher when you cut corners. I really appreciated that from him. You get that from a lot of people, but specifically with him. He kept me in check. Put pressure on me to be a better version of myself.
“I’ll always be indebted to him for that.”
Belichick’s brief stint as a long snapper came around, in part, because of his father’s relationship with Schiano and senior coaching assistant Bob Fraser, who was the defensive coordinator and defensive line coach for Rutgers at the time.
By 2011, Belichick knew he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a football coach, so Schiano welcomed him into the program as a “player-coach,” despite the walk-on long snapper having two thumb surgeries after the 2010 lacrosse season that severely limited his actual playing ability.
“I was just kind of doing as much as I could being around those guys,” Belichick said.
Seeing Schiano’s process up close was a fantastic learning experience, Belichick said. He was able to build relationships with other people around the Rutgers program like Jeff Hafley, now the Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator, and Billy Miller, a special teams assistant coach at the time who is currently the head coach at IMG Academy.
It was also Belichick’s most-recent experience in college football until arriving at Washington. Schiano said Belichick’s coaching potential was obvious even in the short time he spent around the Rutgers program.
“It’s not a shock to me how well they’re doing defensively,” Schiano told reporters. “As a matter of fact, that’s what I thought he would do. But I’m proud.”
Belichick’s Washington defense enters the game against Rutgers as one of the nation’s premier units. The Huskies rank No. 11 nationally in scoring defense and total defense, allowing an average of 10.25 points per game and 237.5 yards per game.
If the safety surrendered by Washington’s offense being called for intentional grounding in its own end zone against Northwestern was excluded, UW would have the No. 10 scoring defense, tied with No. 16 Notre Dame.
Washington is also ranked No. 14 in third-down defense (26.8% conversion), No. 13 in passing yards allowed (131.2 yards per game) and No. 5 in red zone defense (55.6% conversion).
The Huskies have surrendered just two touchdowns in nine opposition red zone attempts. In comparison, Michigan State — tied with UW as the fifth-best red zone defense nationally — has allowed four touchdowns in as many opportunities. Of the teams ahead of them in opposition red zone conversion percentage, only No. 1 Texas and No. 6 Ole Miss have conceded fewer red zone touchdowns.
Belichick said the defense is continuing to work on its communication, pass rush and emphasizing turnovers. The Huskies have enjoyed a good start to the season, but Belichick said there’s still room to get better as UW faces better opponents. Starting with Rutgers.
“I don’t think we’re capped out yet,” he said. “I think we can still improve.”
The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times.