Steve Belichick Resigns from North Carolina As Investigation Into Football Program Concludes

Steve Belichick has resigned from his position as North Carolina defensive coordinator.

Pete Thamel of ESPN broke the news on X on Thursday, September 17, noting that Steve, who is the son of legendary coach Bill Belichick, has been on medical leave since August 6.

His resignation will be effective on October 27, the team said in a statement to multiple outlets which also addressed the conclusion of the university investigation into the football program, per The Athletic.

As First for Sports previously reported, Tarheels general manager Michael Lombardi also resigned on September 3 after being put on paid leave during the investigation related to a human resources complaint. The former NFL analyst, 57, served as Bill’s right-hand man during his time with the New England Patriots.

That same day, WRAL reported that the investigation had expanded to include Steve, and that witnesses were being questioned about whether he had used drugs on the job or provided drugs to at least one player, and whether a member of the recruiting staff had been intimate with coaches or players.

UNC said in the statement on Thursday that their investigation had concluded, and found that “certain actions demonstrated a disregard for Carolina’s values and standards of conduct,” per The Athletic. However, they added that the actions were “isolated” and “not a systematic failure.”

When Bill took over the Tarheels program in 2024, Steve, 39, had been rumored to be part of the 74-year-old’s succession plan for when he retired, NBC Sports reported.

Upon his resignation, Lombardi issued a statement to ESPN, thanking the college’s chancellor Lee Roberts and Belichick “for the opportunity to serve as the GM of UNC Football,” adding that he made his decision “to allow the team to focus on the ’26 season.”

His lawyer, Tom Mars, had called the investigation a “witch hunt” in an August 28 interview with The Athletic.