Assistant Coach Armond Hawkins Reinstated, Returns to Carolina Football

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — North Carolina cornerbacks coach Armond Hawkins has been reinstated after his suspension, Bill Belichick said on Tuesday. Hawkins effectively served a one-game suspension, as he missed UNC’s game against Cal.

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“He’s back, and the university cleared him,” Belichick said on Tuesday. “They went through their process with him, and he’s back.”

North Carolina suspended cornerbacks coach Armond Hawkins two weeks ago, citing the violation of NCAA rules regarding extra benefits. Sources told Inside Carolina that the violation related to his involvement in player family members getting game sideline passes. The school’s statement on Oct. 9 said he would remain on leave as the athletic department “further investigates other potential actions detrimental to the team and University.”

Belichick didn’t comment much on Hawkins’ status last week when asked, saying, “That’s being handled internally.” He opened up some on Tuesday speaking on the staff’s understanding of NCAA rules.

“We’ve all gone through the compliance courses, whether it be in recruiting practices, time management, the hourly requirements and so forth,” Belichick said on Tuesday. “I would say, if anything, I feel like maybe we spend too much time on it, to be honest with you. I mean, we’ve gone over and over and over it to make sure that we have it right, and every time we check it. Just want to triple check and make sure we’re okay on this. Right now, we’re still making sure that we’re trying to do every single thing right. I think that’s the right thing to do.

“Did something come up, or will something come up? I’m sure it probably will. It does in every program. But we’re certainly not trying to, in any way, take advantage of our compliance people and the people who have more experience with some of the subtler rules or restrictions.”

Hawkins is in his first year with the UNC program, hired by Belichick last offseason from Washington. The Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. native had been heavily focused on recruiting the West Coast for the Tar Heels since his arrival, including recruiting his brother — former UCLA defensive back Khristian Dunbar-Hawkins — to transfer to UNC.

Hawkins was a secondary analyst and assistant director of recruiting last season for Washington, coaching with then-DC Steve Belichick.

UNC signed four players from Washington out of the transfer portal: linebacker Khmori House, cornerback Thaddeus Dixon, wide receiver Jason Robinson, and safety Peyton Waters.

Hawkins’ prior stops were Arizona (assistant director of recruiting and defensive analyst, 2023), Colorado (assistant director of high school relations, 2022), and USC (director of high school relations, 2020-22). He played defensive back at Idaho, graduating in 2017.