Bill Belichick’s University of North Carolina is set to kick off its 2026 college football journey with a showdown against TCU that’s set to take place in Dublin on Saturday.
The Tar Heels will be getting on the field without their defensive coordinator, Steve Belichick, who is also Bill’s son.
Why Steve Belichick Is Not in Dublin for TCU vs North Carolina Showdown
Steve, who had worked with his dad previously at the New England Patriots, joined the Tar Heels with Bill in 2024.
After a disappointing first year with the program, Bill is gearing up to turn things around in his second season as a college football head coach; however, his son Steve won’t be helping the team secure its first potential win in Ireland.
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On Aug. 6, the North Carolina head coach announced that Steve was on medical leave and out indefinitely. Since then, no update has been provided, and Steve continues to stay away from the team.
Talking about whether he was planning to name an interim defensive coordinator, Bill said:
“We coach the defense collectively as a staff… We’ll continue to do that.”
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The eight-time Super Bowl champion will be play-calling in the matchup against TCU on Aug. 29 at 12 p.m. ET.
The TCU game is an important one for North Carolina, as many analysts consider it to be a “must-win” for Bill and his team, especially because the Horned Frogs crushed the Tar Heels in a 48-14 matchup.
Talking about how important it is for the Tar Heels to win on Saturday, college football analyst Bruce Feldman said:
“It’s round two. Can he get off the mat?” Feldman said. “Last year, they got just absolutely throttled by TCU. Now they get a rematch. It’s kind of a must-win, to be honest, for Belichick. I really think if you look at how the schedule sets up and the way they played last year and kind of all the dynamics around the program, it’s just been in disarray and disappointment. And really, to be honest, it’s been a laughing stock of college.”
“It’s kind of a must-win for Belichick… All the dynamics around the program, it’s just been in disarray and a disappointment. It’s been a laughing stock”@jasonrmcintyre and @BruceFeldmanCFB discuss year 2 for Bill Belichick at North Carolina pic.twitter.com/ruUf4OxwAm
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) August 28, 2026
Steve’s absence isn’t the only administrative change the Tar Heels are facing this year, as their general manager, Michael Lombardi, was also sent on paid leave over a month ago.
