Patriots DC Schiano resigns 'to spend more time on my faith and family'

New England Patriots defensive coordinator Greg Schiano abruptly announced Thursday that he will step down from his role. Schiano reportedly joined the Super Bowl champions in February, though the hire was never officially announced.

"I have informed Mr. (Robert) Kraft and coach (Bill) Belichick that I am stepping down from my position at the Patriots," Schiano said in a statement. "This is not the result of any one event, but rather a realization that I need to spend more time on my faith and family. I don't want to look back years from now and wish I had done things differently. Therefore, I am taking time away from the game to recalibrate my priorities."

Belichick also released a brief statement on his defensive coordinator's resignation.

"I respect coach Schiano greatly and appreciate his contributions to our staff and team. He is a friend who we support completely," Belichick said.

Belichick and Schiano are longtime friends, and the eight-time Super Bowl champion raved about him in a SiriusXM interview that was recorded prior to Sunday and aired Thursday.

"He's a very experienced and outstanding fundamental coach," Belichick said, according to ESPN's Mike Reiss. "He's a good teacher and has a lot of experience in both the college and pro game. ... I think he'll be a great addition."

Schiano was brought in to replace Brian Flores, who left the Patriots to become the Miami Dolphins' head coach. The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers bench boss spent the last three seasons as Ohio State's defensive coordinator/associate head coach.

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