After a 38-10 thumping by Clemson on Saturday that dropped the program to 2-3, North Carolina didn’t need any more negative publicity for first-year head coach Bill Belichick.
More News: Head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels
Since the loss, the Tar Heels have been put on blast for everything from having a dysfunctional locker room, canceling a Hulu documentary and its PR team deciding not to promote former quarterback Drake Maye on social media amid pettiness between Belichick and his former employer, the New England Patriots.
More News: Colorado Announces Change for Home Games After Big 12 Punishment
UNC has another troubling issue to deal with before it prepares to play on a short week for Friday night’s contest at California..
Per Bruce Feldman of The Athletic, North Carolina suspended secondary coach and recruiting analyst Armond Hawkins for allegedly providing extra benefits to a player’s family in the form of sideline passes.
“North Carolina cornerbacks coach Armond Hawkins was suspended, a university source said Tuesday,” Feldman wrote. “The first-year Tar Heels assistant’s suspension is related to extra benefits allegations that came to light in a report about the dysfunction within Bill Belichick’s UNC program by WRAL.
“The alleged extra benefits — which are in violation of NCAA rules — involved providing a player’s family members sideline passes for a game, according to the source.”
The report by WRAL on Monday highlighted a culture problem for North Carolina, including a divided locker room.
UNC defensive coordinator Steve Belichick brought Hawkins with him from Washington.
The suspension is another distraction for the Tar Heels in Belichick’s first season in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It’ll be interesting to see how the Tar Heels come out to play the Golden Bears on Friday without their secondary coach.
Belichick is reportedly under pressure to shove improvement through the rest of the season to avoid a potential firing, even with a steep buyout that is in the ballpark of $30 million.
For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.