Steve Belichick missed a media session last week due to illness. Jared C. Tilton / GettyAug. 6, 2026 Updated 9:10 am EDTNorth Carolina defensive coordinator Steve Belichick is going on medical leave, Tar Heels coach Bill Belichick told reporters Wednesday.The 39-year-old son of the head coach came to North Carolina last season from Washington, where he was also DC. Before that, he worked for his father with the New England Patriots for about a decade.Bill Belichick provided no details on Steve Belichick’s condition or a timetable for his return. Steve Belichick was scheduled to meet with reporters last week when North Carolina began preseason practice, but that session was canceled after athletic department officials said the coach wasn’t feeling well.North Carolina’s second season under Bill Belichick, who won six Super Bowls with the Patriots, has already been off to a rocky start. Days before practice started, the university placed general manager and longtime Belichick confidant Michael Lombardi on paid administrative leave. School officials declined to give specifics, but did reveal the university is conducting an investigation related to Lombardi, who makes $1.5 million as college football’s highest-paid GM. Lombardi has retained attorney Tom Mars, who said in a statement the GM “welcomes the opportunity to clear his name.”North Carolina went 4-8 in its first season under Belichick and begins this season on Aug. 29 against TCU in Dublin, Ireland.Aug 6, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms