North Carolina football coach Bill Belichick revealed Thursday morning that his son, Steve, has been placed on medical leave.
Steve Belichick is entering his second season as North Carolina's defensive coordinator. Although the program struggled in 2025, his defense was one of two units in the ACC to hold their opponents to 21 points or fewer in four straight games. His defense thrived in the red zone, ranking 24th in the country in that department.
So when will Belichick return to the Tar Heels? According to his father, he'll be back "as soon as possible."
A return date for Steve Belichick hasn't been announced at this time.
Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images.
UNC's outlook for 2026.
During ACC Media Days in July, Belichick sounded pretty optimistic about North Carolina's outlook for the 2026 season.
“Overall as a football team, our culture, our program, our ability to operate as a team is much higher than it was a year ago,” Belichick told ESPN. “And our talent level is higher.”
Belichick finished his first year at North Carolina with a 4-8 record. A big reason why his team struggled so much was the fact that his offense averaged just 19.2 points per game.
Time will tell if Belichick can revitalize North Carolina's program.
