The North Carolina Tar Heels are enjoying a 2-win start to their 2026 football campaign, but that doesn't mean they're immune from drama within the program.
On Thursday, former UNC (2-0) defensive coordinator Steve Belichick
resigned from his position. Bill Belichick's oldest son was out on medical leave since early August, but Thursday's decision all but confirmed a move likely coming sooner than later.As North Carolina prepares for its ACC opener at Clemson on Saturday, Yahoo Sports' Steve Godfrey reacted to the Steve Belichick resignation on a Thursday episode of Yahoo Sports Daily.
“It’s a little bit more of the same," Godfrey said. "This is not really a big deal. I know it sounds dramatic and all that, but Steve Belichick was almost certainly
not going to come back to this program. Mike Lombardi, the GM, has already been removed from this program. You’re seeing the core around Bill Belichick leave, at a time where they’re actually playing a little bit better college football than we expected. Moreso than any other embattled coach you could ask me about, everybody expects Bill Belichick and North Carolina to move on in the near future. This is just another sign of that.”
“Everybody expects Bill Belichick and North Carolina to move on in the near future and this is just another sign of that.” 😳@38Godfrey reacts to Steve Belichick resigning as UNC's DC and what it means for Bill’s future with the program.
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) September 17, 2026
(via Yahoo Sports Daily) pic.twitter.com/VrAUZs8yxs
With Steve now out of the picture, Bill Belichick's younger son, Brian, will be the Tar Heels' defensive play-caller going forward. Brian assumed this same role during UNC's wins over TCU and ETSU, turning a once-forgettable defense into one of the country's top units.
You hate to see this news if you're a North Carolina fan, as defense showed a slight, noticeable improvement from 2024 to 2025 under Steve Belichick.
The Tar Heels still have football to play and can't dwell on Steve's resignation too much. Players may be shocked by the news, but they'll continue playing hard for Bill and Brian.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: College football journalist reacts to Steve Belichick UNC resignation
