Where is Steve Belichick? What we know about UNC's 'coach in waiting' during leave

Where is Steve Belichick? What we know about UNC's 'coach in waiting' during leave originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

College football's Week Zero kicks off on Saturday, headlined by Bill Belichick and the North Carolina Tar Heels taking on the TCU Horned Frogs in Dublin. 

But as North Carolina looks to improve from its 4-8 finish last season, Coach Belichick will start Week 1 without his defensive coordinator, his son, Steve Belichick. The Tar Heels have been practicing without the younger Belichick since early August, and they will take on TCU in Ireland without their defensive coordinator.

Let's take a look at why UNC is without Steve Belichick and who will be coaching the defense against the Horned Frogs.

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Steve Belichick has been away from the team since Aug. 6, as UNC and his father announced that he was leaving the team on "indefinite medical leave." 

Although Belichick did not give any additional specifics regarding the nature of his medical leave, he told reporters that he was hopeful he can return quickly. 

“My son Steve is on medical leave,” Belichick said via The Daily Tar Heel. “We look forward to getting him back as soon as possible. That’s a medical situation, so I really can’t make any further comment on that.”

The week of UNC's game against TCU, Belichick was asked if there was any update on when his son might return to the team. He stated that there was no additional update to give: 

#UNC coach Bill Belichick just said he has no update on his son, defensive coordinator Steve Belichick, now just five days before the Tar Heels take on #TCU.

I asked Bill Belichick if he plans to call plays, and he had no interest in discussing any potential plans.

On3 Sports also confirmed that UNC was going to be without Belichick on Aug. 27, two days before kickoff. 

The younger Belichick also served as UNC's defensive coordinator last season. Last season, the Horned Frogs embarrassed Belichick and the Tar Heels during their home opener, winning 48-14 in Chapel Hill. UNC also allowed 542 total yards of offense.

UNC finished last season ranked 38th nationally in total defense and was tied for 65th in scoring defense, giving up 24.5 points per game.

Despite the poor performance against TCU, the defense improved in UNC's victories over Charlotte and Richmond, allowing a combined nine points. The Tar Heels also held Syracuse to 10 points and Stanford to 15 in victories over those teams.

But UNC gave up 42 points to NC State, as well as 38 against Clemson at home.

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At the time of the initial announcement earlier this month, Belichick stated that the defensive staff planned to work together to fill the void of his son's temporary departure on staff. 

"We coach defense collectively as staff and we will continue to do that," Bill Belichick said via ESPN.

It appears as though there will not be an interim defensive coordinator, and the staff will call the defense as a collective group. North Carolina's defense will have its work cut out for it against the Horned Frogs, who are listed as 9.5-point favorites, per DraftKings.

The Tar Heels return four starters on defense from last year, including defensive end Melkart Abou-Jaoude, who led the team with 10.5 sacks last season.  

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Belichick's son Steve made $1.3 million last year, which makes him the highest-paid assistant on UNC's coaching staff. 

Although there were rumors that the elder Belichick wanted a clause naming Steve UNC's "coach in waiting," UNC denied that the subject was even discussed during his hiring and contract process. 

Steve worked extensively with his father before. He was on staff with him in New England from 2012-2023, starting as a defensive assistant before being elevated to coach the safeties, defensive backs and linebackers. He was the Patriots' defensive coordinator during his father's last three seasons there from 2020-2023. He helped New England's defense win three Super Bowls, with five total appearances.

Prior to joining his father's staff in Chapel Hill, he was the Washington Huskies' defensive coordinator under head coach Jedd Fisch in his first season there. He played both lacrosse and football at Rutgers from 2008-2011.