Bill Belichick announced that his son Steve will be on an indefinite medical leave of absence for the upcoming University of North Carolina football season.
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The 39-year-old serves as the defensive coordinator for the Tar Heels.
What's Going On With the Son of Bill Belichick?
The 74-year-old head coach didn't share any other details about Steve's absence. As reported by PEOPLE, it is unclear if Steve will join Bill on the sideline when UNC takes on Texas Christian University in Dublin, Ireland, on Saturday, Aug. 29.
Bill added that the coaching staff looks forward "to getting him back as soon as possible."
"We coach defense collectively as staff, and we will continue to do that," he added.
The Announcement Comes During Tumultuous Times for the Belichick Family and UNC
News of Steve's health arrives during a particularly turbulent chapter for both the Belichick family and UNC.
Last week, the general manager of the school's football program, Michael Lombardi, was placed on paid administrative leave connected to a human resources complaint.
The 67-year-old Lombardi is a longtime friend of Bill. The former NFL executive began at UNC with the head coach in 2024. The university said today it has hired an external legal team to deal with the matter, which is currently under investigation.
Then, last month, a Brunswick District Court judge issued an arrest warrant for Steve's wife, Jennifer Schmitt Belichick. The action comes after she failed to appear for a scheduled court appearance.
The hearing was regarding an incident on May 21. At around 5:43 p.m., Jennifer was allegedly driving at 88 mph in a 70 mph zone.
Last year, Jennifer allegedly "yelled at" her father-in-law's girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, following a game in North Carolina between Stanford and the UNC Tar Heels. She supposedly ranted about Hudson's fashion choices, her body, and her relationship with Bill.
Of course, there is the small matter of how the Tar Heels rebound from last year's 4-8 season. It certainly seems disappointing from a team under one of the greatest coaches in football history.
Then again, Bill didn't make the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, so maybe he can prove to all the haters this year that he's worthy of induction.
