Upheaval surrounding Bill Belichicks tenure at North Carolina intensified Thursday with the announcement that his son, Steve Belichick, will step down as the Tar Heels defensive coordinator later this month.
According to the New York Post, the university said Steve Belichick will resign effective Oct. 27, coinciding with the end of his medical leave, as the school declared it had completed an investigation into the football programs culture and climate. The 39-year-old assistant, who spent more than a decade working under his father with the New England Patriots, has been on medical leave since Aug. 6.
He became entangled in a probe in which attorneys questioned witnesses about whether he used drugs while on the job or supplied drugs to at least one player, WRAL reported earlier this month. UNC said Thursday the school has concluded a thorough and independent investigation into allegations related to culture and climate within the football program.
The universitys review determined that certain actions demonstrated a disregard for Carolinas values and standards of conduct. However, the school emphasized that the actions were isolated in scope and not a systemic failure, and declined to specify the conduct at issue.
Steve Belichicks departure follows the resignation of general manager Mike Lombardi two weeks ago, after he too became a subject of the same investigation stemming from a complaint by a former front office employee. The leadership shake-up raises questions about institutional oversight at a major public university that, like many others, has embraced big-money college football while insisting its values remain intact.
UNC on Thursday also announced the indefinite suspension of freshman wide receiver Keeyun Chapman, who was cited Tuesday night for carrying a concealed weapon, according to WRAL. He was a passenger in a Cadillac SUV driven by fellow freshman receiver C.J. Sadler, who was cited for speeding after allegedly traveling 60 mph in a 35 mph zone, per WRAL.
Steve Belichicks coaching rsum includes stints as a defensive assistant for his father with the Patriots from 2012-15, safeties coach from 2016-18, defensive backs coach in 2019 and outside linebackers coach from 2020-23. He then spent one season as defensive coordinator at the University of Washington before reuniting with his father in Chapel Hill last year, a move that once symbolized stability but now underscores how quickly a high-profile program can be thrown into turmoil.
North Carolina (2-0) visits Clemson (1-1) on Saturday at noon, carrying an undefeated record but also the weight of an investigation that, while deemed not a systemic failure, has already cost the program two senior football leaders and placed renewed scrutiny on how universities balance discipline, accountability and the relentless pursuit of athletic success.
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