Brian Belichick is staying with New England Patriots. Who is Bill Belichick’s youngest son?
Though many expected him to leave after his father and brother did, Brian Belichick has maintained his position with the Patriots and that’s good news.
A multitude of changes were ushered in this offseason for the New England Patriots, but despite the departure of his father who was head coach, and his brother who handled part of the defense, the youngest Belichick remains a part of the Pats’ staff.
Brian Belichick is staying with the Patriots
The New England Patriots have seen their fair share of changes this offseason. There was, of course, the well-documented departure of head coach Bill Belichick after 24 seasons in charge, a decision that continues to reverberate around the league. Yet, what some might not have known is that the former coach’s exodus also precipitated the exit of his son and former linebackers coach Steve Belichick, who accepted the position of defensive coordinator at the University of Washington.
This brings us to Brian Belichick, the youngest son of Bill Belichick and the current Patriots’ safeties coach under current head coach Jerod Mayo. According to reports, Brian, who has been with the Pats since 2017, will continue to work for the franchise despite his father and older brother leaving. “I enjoy very much coaching here, living here, working with our players every day,” Belichick said in his first public comments since the team parted ways with his father. “I have the opportunity to coach a position in the National Football League. I mean, how much more can you ask for than that?”
Getting to know Brian Belichick
Given the unceremonious way in which his father’s time in New England came to an end - more than two decades - it would have been understandable had Brian Belichick chosen to follow his dad out the door along with his brother. On the other hand, when we consider that he only recently became a father himself, it could be that he opted for familiarity and stability over a chance at a new beginning outside of New England. It’s also worth noting that the he appears to be highly favored by the franchise itself.
“He’s been fantastic, he’s been fantastic,” Mayo said of Brian. “There are other guys in the organization that it has been a little awkward for him, and those guys have handled it the right way. Look, Brian loves football, and he loves New England. I think I talked about this a little bit earlier: a guy, new baby, loves it up here and wants to stay. We’re happy that he’s here.”
Brian Belichick has his say on the decision
Another interesting aspect of the younger Belichick’s choice that was revealed, was when he was asked about whether he spoke to his father regarding his intention to stay with the Patriots. In his response Brian was clear, explaining that he “talked to a lot of people in my family over the course of however long it was.”
“...I think in a way, and this is getting a little personal about our family dynamics, but in a way, I think it was good for us to have some separation from being in a football building every day seeing each other. Whereas now, we’re not just connected by football,” Belichick said. “Not that it was that way before, but, you know, we talk about other things because we’re in different places, not in the same place every day. There’s a lot to talk about football-wise, so it was hard to not get caught up in that when you saw each other at work every day.”
Interestingly, Brian also addressed the notion of walking in his father’s shadow, something that many have alluded to. “I think we have a very well-coached team,” said Belichick. “I think that starts with Jerod and we’re all following his example and so we’re all trying to live up to a very high expectation that obviously was built here through the years and my dad was the head coach. ... Everyone is trying to live up to that every day.” Ultimately, there are interesting times ahead in New England, but it appears that Brian Belichick is up for the challenge.