Bill, Steve Belichick Tight-Lipped On Armond Hawkins Situation

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The suspension of North Carolina cornerbacks coach Armond Hawkins is a significant development in an already rocky season, though the team’s head coach and defensive coordinator didn’t shed much light on where that situation stands and its impact on the team dynamics moving forward.

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

Bill Belichick was asked on Monday about the status of the investigation, but he didn’t add much.

“That’s being handled internally,” the UNC head coach said. “It’s being looked at and reviewed, and I really don’t want to comment on it because I’m not reviewing it.”

Steve Belichick spoke to the media on Wednesday, his first time speaking with local reporters since a training camp media availability on Aug. 6. The younger Belichick was asked who would fill in for Hawkins in his absence, and he gave a brief answer regarding the matter.

“It’s a group effort,” Belichick claimed on Wednesday. “The whole defensive staff is working hard at everything we need to do. So it’s hard to just pinpoint and say that since this happened, this is going to change. Everybody’s been doing a little bit of different stuff.”

Brian Belichick, son of Bill and brother to Steve, is the team’s defensive backs and safeties coach. He spent nine seasons in the New England Patriots organization — his first as a shouting assistant, his next three as a coaching assistant and his final five as the safeties coach. Brian Belichick spent his last season in New England in 2024 without his brother and his father.

Hawkins is in his first year with the UNC program, hired by Bill 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.

North Carolina is 2-3 with losses to TCU, UCF and Clemson. In those losses, the team has been outscored 120-33. The Tar Heels rank 109th in passing defense, allowing 246.2 yards per game through the air. They also rank 79th in scoring defense (25.8 points per game) and 77th in total defense (373.2 yards per game).

UNC will face 4-2 California on the road on Saturday, looking to get back to .500.