North Carolina opens the 2026 college football season without defensive coordinator Steve Belichick, who is currently on indefinite medical leave. The university announced on Aug. 6 that Steve, the eldest son of head coach Bill Belichick, was stepping away from the team due to a private medical situation, and he did not travel with the team to Dublin, Ireland, for Saturday's season opener against TCU. With no clear timeline for his return, Bill Belichick and defensive line coach Bob Diaco have been jointly handling defensive game prep, with Bill retaining play-calling duties, according to On3's Pete Nakos.
Bill is no stranger to the role. Before taking the head coaching job at UNC — and before that, 24 seasons as head coach of the NFL's New England Patriots and five seasons as head coach of the Cleveland Browns — Bill served as defensive coordinator for the New York Jets, and prior to that, for the New York Giants under Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells. The Giants won Super Bowl XXI and Super Bowl XXV with Belichick leading the defense.
More news: Jayden Daniels Goes Silent on LSU Beef: ‘I Said Everything I Needed To Say’ More news: Giants’ John Harbaugh Sends Clear Message to Odell Beckham Jr After Preseason Steve Belichick, meanwhile, spent over a decade with the Patriots working under his father, first as a defensive assistant before advancing to safeties coach, defensive backs coach, and eventually outside linebackers coach. He then spent one season as defensive coordinator for the Washington Huskies before following Bill to UNC for the 2025 season. The Tar Heels' defense allowed 24.5 points per game last season, ranking 66th nationally — a significant improvement over the offense, which averaged just 19.2 points per game (120th).
North Carolina looks different on both sides of the ball this season, bringing in 19 transfers and 40 first-year players as it looks to turn around a 4-8 team. But losing your defensive coordinator right before the season is a tough hurdle for any program to manage, even for a coach as accomplished as Bill Belichick. More news: Jerry Jones Drops Eyebrow-Raising Comment on Cowboys’ Future
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