Bill Belichick stunned much of the football world in December 2024, when the man widely regarded as the best coach in NFL history agreed to become the new head coach at North Carolina after spending the entirety of his 50-year career at the professional level.
He didn’t make the trip to Chapel Hill alone, either.
Joining Belichick was his son, Steve, who had previously worked under his father with the New England Patriots and had just wrapped up his first season as the defensive coordinator at Washington.
Heading into the elder Belichick’s second season with the Tar Heels, and following an occasionally disastrous debut campaign, there’s uncertainty around whether his son will be on the sideline with him as the defensive coordinator.
On Aug. 6, Belichick announced his son was on medical leave and out indefinitely, putting his status as the North Carolina defensive coordinator for the 2026 season in doubt.
As the Tar Heels kick off the season on Saturday, August 29 against TCU in Dublin, Ireland, here’s a closer look at the situation surrounding Belichick:
Steve Belichick medical leaveOn Aug. 6, about three weeks before his team’s first game, Bill Belichick announced that his son, North Carolina defensive coordinator Steve Belichick, would be on an indefinite medical leave.
Belichick provided no further details. When asked whether Steve Belichick would be back for the 2026 season-opener in Ireland against TCU, Belichick said his son would return "as soon as possible.”
"It’s a medical situation, so I really can’t make any further comment on that," Bill Belichick said.
In his son’s absence, Belichick said the Tar Heels would coach defense “collectively as staff.” The elder Belichick has a lengthy and legendary background as a defensive coach, having served as the New York Giants’ defensive coordinator for two Super Bowl-winning teams.
Belichick’s 39-year-old son has shown some promise as a defensive coordinator at this early stage in his career.
For all of North Carolina’s struggles last season on its way to a 4-8 finish, the team’s defense was stout at times. After allowing 40 points per game in their first three games against Power Four opponents, the Tar Heels gave up 23.6 points per game in their final seven such games. Defensive lineman Melkart Abou Jaoude led the ACC in sacks and North Carolina was one of two teams in the conference to limit opponents to 21 points or fewer in four straight games.
In his one season at Washington, a reconstructed Huskies defense allowed 23.8 points per game, ranking it 53rd among 134 FBS teams.
“He knows a lot. He’s just like his father. He’s very knowledgeable of the game. He mixes up a lot of coverages, just like OG,” North Carolina senior defensive back Kaleb Cost said on Aug. 6, shortly after Steve Belichick’s leave was announced. “In the meetings, he goes through the film and things like that. He breaks it down similar to his father. It’s a difference between the coaching, but they’re both pretty good coaches.”
UNC football schedule 2026With Steve Belichick potentially away from the team for an extended period, North Carolina will face plenty of tests. Of the Tar Heels’ 12 games during the 2026 season, three will come against teams in the top 25 of the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll: No. 5 Notre Dame, No. 7 Miami and No. 23 Clemson. Six other matchups will be against teams that received votes in the poll: TCU, Louisville, Pitt, Duke, Virginia and NC State.
Here’s a look at North Carolina’s 2026 schedule:
- Aug. 29: vs. TCU*
- Sept. 12: vs. East Tennessee State
- Sept. 19: at No. 23 Clemson
- Oct. 3: vs. No. 5 Notre Dame
- Oct. 10: at Pitt
- Oct. 17: at Duke
- Oct. 24: vs. Syracuse
- Oct. 31: vs. No. 7 Miami
- Nov. 7: at UConn
- Nov. 14: vs. Louisville
- Nov. 21: at Virginia
- Nov. 28: vs. NC State
* Neutral-site game in Dublin, Ireland
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Where is Steve Belichick? Why UNC defensive coordinator isn't coaching vs TCU
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